Early voting begins today in Minnesota and the state has implemented policy moves with the intent of making voting easier.
Nonpartisan civic engagement voices hope community-level volunteers step up in case issues still arise. Curbside voting is a long-standing option for those with disabilities and around the state, new voting machines are surfacing to improve accessibility for those with visual impairments and other disabilities.
Annastacia Belladonna-Carrera, executive director of Common Cause Minnesota, said they have seen patterns in other states where election staff have had difficulties operating them. She acknowledged it was not a problem during Minnesota's primary but they want to be vigilant this fall.
"How many counties are out there that perhaps are having some of these issues and we're not hearing about it because we just don't have the capacity?" Belladonna-Carrera wondered.
She stressed the potential for problems is why trained volunteers are needed at voting sites to assist or connect people with resources like the Common Cause Election Protection Hotline. On the policy side, Minnesota this year now requires multilingual voting information with interpreters available upon request.
Common Cause is recruiting people to spread the word about the changes at community events and in other social settings so marginalized voters are aware.
Belladonna-Carrera emphasized Minnesota has a strong reputation for voting access but unintentional mistakes could still pop up. The state has bolstered funding for local election administrators but she noted some offices could still be under-resourced. She added having volunteers on hand who live in the community can help prevent or resolve potential problems.
"We want to make sure that all hands are on deck," Belladonna-Carrera stressed. "Neighbors are helping neighbors."
Common Cause volunteers are not staffed by a political party, with Belladonna-Carrera noting the nonpartisan approach helps dispel misinformation about election integrity.
Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.
