St. Paul ballot measure will ask whether city elections should move to presidential years

A ballot measure this fall is slated to ask St. Paul voters whether city elections should be moved to align with presidential races.

The push for the change is being led by six St. Paul residents, who say even-year elections draw a higher turnout. The group submitted 5,505 verified petition signatures to Ramsey County election officials last month, enough to place the question on ballots in November under state law.

“We want to move our city elections to presidential years because that’s when most people actually vote,” said Peter Butler, a leader of the petition effort.

St. Paul’s municipal elections, which have been held in odd-numbered years since 1983, historically have seen much lower turnout than even-numbered years.


https://www.startribune.com/st-paul-ballot-measure-will-ask-whether-city-elections-should-move-to-presidential-years/600693381