DFL Chairman Ken Martin Statement on Minnesota Presidential Primary Bill

DFL Chairman Ken Martin Statement on Minnesota Presidential Primary Bill

DFL Chairman Ken Martin champion for presidential primary bill, looks forward to more Minnesotans taking part in election process
 
Thanks to a bipartisan effort, the Legislature has passed a bill to move Minnesota to a presidential primary beginning in 2020. Minnesota DFL Chairman Ken Martin has been a champion for is pleased that more Minnesotans will have the opportunity to take part in the election process.
 
“This year, more than 200,000 Minnesotans came out and voted in our Presidential Preference Poll but the long lines, short voting window and shortages of ballots and registration sheets made for a very confusing and dispiriting experience,” Martin said. “We were told thousands more Minnesotans were so frustrated that they left without participating in the process.  
 
“It became clear that the Presidential nominating process in Minnesota needed to be reformed.”
 
Martin said many others wanted to take part in the Presidential Preference Poll but could not attend their precinct caucuses because of work schedules, family commitments or illness. Martin said this no way to make people feel welcome to the election process or to guarantee their right to participate and make their voices heard.
 
Early in the 2016 Legislative Session, Martin reached out to legislative leaders in both parties to indicate his support for a Presidential Primary system which ensures that those who want to vote in Minnesota’s Presidential nominating contest can do so in a more convenient manner throughout the day and via absentee ballot if they so choose. As of today, a bill is making its way to Gov. Mark Dayton for his signature to do just that.
 
“I appreciate legislators were willing to work together to pass a bill to ensure the broadest participation possible without disenfranchising people,” Martin said. “The Presidential Primary will make the process inviting, accessible, fair, and open to all eligible voters in Minnesota.”