League of Women Voters of St. Paul
takes action to increase voter turnout
Jake Spitzack
Staff Writer
Following the primary election in August, Minnesota lost its spot as the state with the highest voter turnout, according to Secretary of State Steve Simon. The turnout (12%) was the lowest in the state since 2016 (7%), but Simon is hopeful that Minnesotans will reclaim the top spot with the general election on November 5. Nevertheless, several groups, including the League of Women Voters of St. Paul, are working to ensure that all eligible voters are prepared to cast a ballot by Election Day.
“Our government is of, by and for the people, so we have to be part of that,” said League of Women Voters of St. Paul President Beatrice Owen. “There is a lot of value in having as many voices as possible at the table so that we have a representative government…. I think one [reason people don’t vote] is people feel their vote doesn’t matter, and our stance on that is that it matters in ways that you don’t know. I also think there’s some distaste [for government], but when we get more people involved, then it doesn’t focus on the distaste. It’s more about moving forward and making a difference for our community.”
The volunteer-run, 110-member St. Paul League is in the thick of election season and is hosting candidate forums with a trained moderator, which are being recorded and uploaded to its YouTube page and the St. Paul Neighborhood Network website.
The League of Women Voters is a national, nonpartisan organization dedicated to democracy and helping people learn about voting. The St. Paul chapter, founded in 1947, was the first in Minnesota. The national organization was established in 1920 to educate women about voting following the ratification of the 19th Amendment. Today, it serves all eligible voters.
The St. Paul League has some creative freedom on how it performs outreach. In addition to hosting candidate forums, it organizes book clubs and other events. A free workshop, “Use Your Indoor Voice! Talking Politics with Neighbors and Friends,” will be held at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 22, via Zoom. In 2021, the League did a series covering everything from how polling booths aren’t accessible for people with some disabilities to the importance of making ballots available in more languages. The League also has an abundance of resources on its website, and the national league operates vote411.org, which includes information about candidates in all types of races, polling locations and more.
“It’s about helping educate the voters so that they can make informed decisions whatever their choice happens to be,” said Owen. “It’s so people can walk into the voting booth and feel confident in their vote.”
Members of the St. Paul League have the option of participating in about eight programs a year and two annual in-person events – a June meeting and December luncheon, both of which feature a speaker. New member orientations are held, and the League organizes annual member meetups for networking. The St. Paul League is based out of the Landmark Center. The Minnesota League office also recently moved there. There are about 800 local and state League of Women Voters groups in the United States.
Early voting for state elections can be done with an absentee ballot submitted by mail or in person through November 4. To apply for an absentee ballot, visit sos.state.mn.us and search “other ways to vote.” Additionally, voters for all elections can register in advance to save time at their polling locations. To vote in Minnesota, residents must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of Minnesota for at least 20 days, at least 18 years old on Election Day, not currently incarcerated for a felony conviction and not under a court order that revokes their right to vote. To register online, visit mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us. To find your polling location, visit pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us. For more information on the St. Paul league, visit lwvsp.org.