Endorsements and open ballot access coexist in Minneapolis

Voting in representative democracy is millennia older than our country itself, and even in 2024, it is most definitely still a work in progress. The candidates that appear on your ballot — either for the primary on August 13 or the general election in November — work hard to reach out to neighbors, listen, answer questions, and earn your support. In Minnesota and with variations in all 50 states, we have local parties that bring neighbors of like mind together to endorse candidates for local office.

In other states — and not in Minnesota — those party endorsements can affect who is on your ballot, what order or position they are in, or what is next to their name for a group affiliation. That is not the case in Minnesota, because in Minnesota, we respect each candidate’s First Amendment rights to express their party affiliation and run for office with open ballot access.

In Minneapolis, it is easy to become a candidate for local office. For Minneapolis School Board, the filing fee is $20. A single twenty-dollar bill. Fill out a short form, and you are on to the primary for August 13, when the top two candidates will advance to the general election.

It’s important to recognize how open ballot access is in Minnesota compared to other states. I am proud of that. We should all be proud of that.

At the same time, we need to respect our neighbors’ right to endorse candidates they support. Under the First Amendment, you have the right to associate with like-minded neighbors and endorse candidates. Either with the DFL, advocacy groups, unions, or other associations. You could start a local association called “Dog Lovers for Democracy” and endorse candidates who support investing in full-service dog parks. That’s your right under the First Amendment. We should all support our Bill of Rights, and support our neighbors exercising their rights, even when we disagree with them politically. I hear there’s a “Concerned Cats Caucus”.

Any endorsement, whether from DFL members, an advocacy group, a union, DSA, any association, does not have a direct control in Minnesota on who is on your election ballot, what order they are in, or what party is next to their name. This is more progressive than other states.

As Chair of Minneapolis DFL, I am dedicated to building a Big Tent DFL Party that elects DFL candidates that earn a consensus of support. I strongly oppose those who did not ever earn that consensus support from denigrating DFL volunteers and members for exercising their First Amendment rights. I myself was a candidate in 2023. When another candidate earned the endorsement with over 72%, I didn’t attack the people who made their voices heard, I respected them for exercising their Freedom of Speech. I oppose any attacks on folks’ ability to make endorsements, even when I might disagree with them.

In parallel, I am dedicated to making our local DFL party more inclusive and accessible. That includes rule changes like single-ballot voting at conventions to reach a conclusion sooner and maintain more friendships in the neighborhood by the time we adjourn. That’s what DFL neighbors have been asking for, and that’s what I am working on with our fellow unpaid volunteers.

I hope that as we work on the experiment of representative democracy, we can learn to lead together in a way that respects each other’s First Amendment rights, even if we strongly disagree with the political or religious expressions of those rights. That is fundamental to our country. We are all in the same boat together.