ballot Archives - The Minnesota Sun

Judge Rules Absentee Ballot Drop Boxes Illegal in Wisconsin, Regulators Must Retract Guidance

January 14, 2022January 14, 2022 Minnesota Sun Staff

People at a voting location, voting early at polls

A Wisconsin judge has ruled that the absentee ballot drop boxes widely deployed during the 2020 election are not allowed under state law, a decision that could dramatically impact voting ahead of the swing state’s midterm elections.

Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Michael Bohren ordered on Thursday the Wisconsin Elections Commission to retract its instructions to election officials on how to use drop boxes. Bohren declared that the WEC had overstepped its authority in issuing the guidance in the first place.

Bohren called the WEC’s guidance a “major policy decision that alter[s] how our absentee ballot process operates,” that was significant enough that it should have required approval by the Legislature.

George Soros, Unions, Other Far-Left Entities Donated Heavily to Defeat Pro-Police Ballot Measure in Austin, Texas

November 8, 2021November 7, 2021 Minnesota Sun Staff

A ballot measure aimed at increasing the number of police officers in the city of Austin, Texas was defeated in Tuesday’s election after hundreds of thousands of dollars was spent against it by George Soros, unions, and other organizations from outside of Texas, as reported by Fox News.

The question before voters, known as Prop A, would have required the city to hire two police officers for every 1,000 residents, and would subsequently increase officer training to accommodate the new hires. The measure was put on the ballot in response to a surge in violent crime in the wake of last year’s violent race riots, and a subsequent decline in the number of officers due to the “defund the police” movement as well as increasingly strict vaccine mandates.

The bulk of the money spent against Prop A came from outside the state of Texas. Chief among them was the far-left Equity PAC, which was given $500,000 by George Soros’s Open Society foundation, contributing to a total war chest of around $1.2 million. Other culprits include the equally far-left group known as the 1630 Fund, which spent $100,000 against Prop A, and the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, which spent another $100,000. Another Soros-linked group, the Fairness Project, spent $200,000 to defeat Prop A.

Minneapolis City Council President Filed Ethics Complaint over Arradondo’s News Conference

October 31, 2021October 30, 2021 The Center Square

Minneapolis Police Chief Arradondo giving remarks at a press conference

Outgoing Minneapolis City Council President Lisa Bender has filed an ethics complaint over a press conference Police Chief Medaria Arradondo held on Wednesday.

Arradondo warned residents of the consequences of approving a ballot Question 2, which, if passed, would replace the police department. The warning was made while he was standing in front of the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) logo.

Bender’s complaint says the press conference violates ethics code section 15.110, which states: “A local official, employee or candidate for elective office shall not use city facilities, property, funds, personnel, the city logo, the city seal or other city resources to engage in political activity.”

Schumer Endorses Socialist in Buffalo Mayoral Race

October 25, 2021 Admin

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday endorsed India Walton, a democratic socialist, to be the next mayor of Buffalo.

“As Buffalo voters start to head to the polls this weekend, I urge them to cast their ballot for India Walton as the next mayor of Buffalo,” Schumer told The Buffalo News. “India is an inspiring community leader, mother, nurse and a lifelong Buffalonian with a clear progressive vision for her hometown.”

Schumer’s endorsement is the most high-profile one Walton has received. Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, another democratic socialist, called Walton’s nomination an “important step forward for the working people of Buffalo” in June, but other New York Democrats, including Gov. Kathy Hochul and Rep. Brian Higgins, who represents Buffalo in the House, have stayed silent.

Proposed Florida Vote-By-Mail Restrictions Scaled Back, But Opponents Not Swayed

April 20, 2021April 19, 2021 The Center Square

A key Senate panel Wednesday amended a controversial bill imposing a range of restrictions on the state’s vote-by-mail (VBM) laws but did not vote on the measure after an exhaustive debate.

The Senate Rules Committee ran out of time before it could issue a verdict on Senate Bill 90 during a fiery marathon meeting that began with an hours’-long fracas over a proposed bill preempting local governments from regulating ports in areas “of critical state concern.”

Committee chair Sen. Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, concluded the meeting without calling for a vote on SB 90, saying the panel could take up the measure in its Friday meeting or next week. The bill was not on panel’s Friday agenda as of Thursday afternoon.

County in Georgia Re-Scans Ballots After Coming Up Short, Cites ‘System Error’

November 9, 2020November 8, 2020 Corinne Murdock

On Saturday, Fulton County officials discovered that the number of scanned ballots didn’t reflect the totals received. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced the news of a rescan that afternoon.

Raffensperger dispatched a monitor, investigators, and Deputy Secretary of State Jordan Fuchs to moderate the process at State Farm Arena.

Poll: 80 Percent of Democrats Think Making Voting Easier Is More Important Than Ensuring Voter Eligibility

September 14, 2020September 13, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

Roughly 80% of Democratic think that getting as many people as possible into the voting booth is more important than making sure each voter is eligible to cast a ballot, a new Just the News Daily Poll with Scott Rasmussen shows.

About 70% of Republican voters, meanwhile, think the opposite, believing that election authorities should work harder to verify each voter’s eligibility.

National Democrats Sue Minnesota Over ‘Unfair’ Ballot Laws

November 30, 2019November 29, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Two national Democratic groups are suing Minnesota over the state’s “unfair” ballot laws that “systemically and arbitrarily disadvantage” DFL candidates.

Group Collects Record Amount of Signatures to Challenge Colorado ‘National Popular Vote Law’ at the Ballot Box

August 6, 2019August 5, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

The group behind an effort to challenge Colorado’s new national popular vote law at the ballot box reached a major milestone this week when it submitted more than 227,000 signatures the Secretary of State’s office.

California Voters Prepare To Square Off Against Gov. Jerry Brown Over Gas Tax Repeal

July 13, 2018July 12, 2018 Admin

by Chris White Gov. Jerry Brown is leaving office after the midterms, but the California Democrat plans on engaging in one last brutal campaign to defend an extremely unpopular gas tax he approved in 2017. Brown is pledging to raise $25 million in a campaign to fight the repeal…