Minneapolis, MN Approves Instant Runoff Voting for City Elections

Type: Charter Amendment
Status: Approved by voters on 11/7/07
Vote: In Favor - 78,741 (65%) Opposed - 42,493 (35%)
Source File: http://mpls.betterballotcampaign.org/sites/fairvotemn.org/files/CHARTER_CHAPTER_2%20MARKEDUP.PDF
Text:
BALLOT TEXT
A PROPOSAL TO USE INSTANT RUNOFF VOTING IN MINNEAPOLIS ELECTIONS
Should the City of Minneapolis adopt Single Transferable Vote, sometimes known as Ranked Choice Voting or Instant Runoff Voting, as the method for electing the Mayor, City Council, and members of the Park and Recreation Board, Library Board, and Board of Estimate and Taxation without a separate primary election and with ballot format and rules for counting votes adopted by ordinance?
CHARTER AMENDMENT
Amending Chapter 2 of the Minneapolis City Charter relating to Officers--Elections, eliminating primary elections for city offices, amending filing dates, and allowing for Single Transferable Vote, sometimes known as Ranked Choice Voting or Instant Runoff Voting.
The City Council of The City of Minneapolis do ordain as follows:
Section 1. That Chapter 2, Section 5 of the Minneapolis City Charter be amended to read as follows:
Section 5. Primary Elections Candidate Filing. Prior to January 1st of the
election year, the City Council shall fix and determine the dates for the City Primary
Election and the opening and closing dates for the filing of candidates for office. Such
election shall be held at least 40 days prior to the General Election and the The time
allowed for the filing of candidates for office shall never be less than 15 days (and the
closing date of such filing shall never be less than 30 40 days), before the Primary
General Election.
Section 5A. Conduct of Elections. Notwithstanding the provisions of
Minnesota Statutes, Section 205.17, subdivision 2, or any other provision of law and
except as otherwise provided in this section, the City Primary Election and General
Election for Mayor and City Council shall be conducted in the manner provided by law
for elections for nonpartisan offices. All candidates for Mayor and City Council shall run
for nomination in the city primary election. All such candidates shall, however, state the
name of their political party or political principle, stated in three words or less, on their
affidavits of candidacy and affidavits of candidacy for Mayor and City Council shall
otherwise conform with all requirements of the Minnesota general election laws
pertaining to affidavits of candidacy for partisan offices. The political party or political
principle shall be placed on the Primary and General Election ballots with the names of
the candidates for such offices.
Section 5B. Voting Method. The elected officers shall be elected by the
method of Single Transferable Vote, sometimes known as Ranked Choice Voting or
Instant Runoff Voting. The City Council shall, by ordinance, establish the ballot format
and rules for counting the votes. The method shall be used for the first municipal
election after adoption and all subsequent elections unless the City Council certifies, by
ordinance, no later than four months prior to the election, that the City will not be ready
to implement the method in that election. Such certification must include the reasons
why the City is not ready to implement the method.
Section 2. That Chapter 2, Section 6 of the Minneapolis City Charter be
amended to read as follows:
Section 6. Election Judges--Council to Fix Compensation. The City Council
shall at least 14 days before any special, primary or general City Election appoint such
judges of election as may be necessary to constitute a full board for every election
precinct, as provided by general laws. The compensation of elections judges shall be
forty (40) percent greater than the prevailing minimum wage as defined by state law
unless the City Council sets a different rate.
This amendment shall become effective January 1, 2000.
Section 3. That Chapter 2, Section 8 of the Minneapolis City Charter be
amended to read as follows:
Section 8. City Council to Provide Ballots and Ballot Boxes. The City Council
shall provide all necessary ballots and ballot boxes to be used for each general, primary
and special election held in the City for the election of City officers or for any other City
purposes.
Section 4. That Chapter 2, Section 9 of the Minneapolis City Charter be
amended to read as follows:
Section 9. Ballot at City Election. The names of all candidates to be voted on
at any general City election, City primary election or special election for City purposes
shall be placed on one ballot. Regardless of whether they are contested or uncontested,
the offices on the ballot shall be in the following order: Mayor; Council Member; Board
of Estimate and Taxation Member; Park and Recreation Commissioner at Large; Park
and Recreation Commissioner by District; Library Board Member.
Section 5. That Chapter 2, Section 11 of the Minneapolis City Charter be
amended to read as follows:
Section 11. City Clerk to Give Notice of Time and Places of Holding
Elections. The City Clerk shall give notice of the time and places of holding general
city elections and at the same time and in the same notice give notice of the time and
places of holding primary elections, which notice shall be given at least 15 days before
the primary general city election, and unless otherwise specifically provided for in this
Charter, the City Clerk shall give 15 days' notice of the time and places of holding
special elections.
Section 6. That Chapter 2, Section 12 of the Minneapolis City Charter be
amended to read as follows:
Section 12. In Case of Tie Vote. When two or more candidates for any elective
city office shall receive an equal number of votes at the primary election, general city election or at a special election, and such number votes would be sufficient to elect or
nominate at least one of the candidates receiving such number of votes, the election
shall be determined as between those candidates by the casting of lots in the presence
of the City Council at such time and in such manner as the City Council shall direct.
Section 7. That Chapter 2, Section 13 of the Minneapolis City Charter be
amended to read as follows:
Section 13. Filing for Nominations.Election. All candidates for nomination
election at any city election shall file their affidavit for such nomination, election and pay
their fee therefor, in the same manner as provided in the general election laws of the
State of Minnesota, except only that such filing shall be made with, and such fee paid to
the City Clerk instead of the County Auditor, and such filing must be made, and the fee
therefor paid, not later than the 30th 40th day preceding the primary general election.
Section 8. That Chapter 2, Section 15 of the Minneapolis City Charter be
amended to read as follows:
Section 15. General Laws to Govern Elections--Exceptions. Notwithstanding
the other provisions of this chapter relating to Instant Runoff Voting, all General laws of
the State of Minnesota relating to primaries and elections and the preliminaries thereto,
unless this Charter otherwise specifically provides, shall, so far as applicable, apply and
govern all elections under this Charter and the same are hereby adopted and made part
of this Charter.
Section 9. That Chapter 2, Section 16 of the Minneapolis City Charter be
amended to read as follows:
Section 16. Vacancy in Office of Mayor and Council Members--How Filled.
Whenever any vacancy shall occur in the office of Mayor or in the office of any Council
Member prior to March 1st of the year of the general City election for the office of Mayor
or Council Member, it shall be filled for the unexpired term by a special election ordered
by the City Council and held City-wide if the vacancy is in the office of the Mayor or held
in the applicable ward if the vacancy is in the office of a Council Member. The special
election shall be held within seventy-five (75) days after such vacancy shall occur.
For the purpose of selecting the candidates to be voted on at such special
election, the Council shall fix the date of a primary election to be held not less than
thirty-five (35) days prior to such special election, and shall also fix the dates for filing of
candidates for such office which shall be for a period of not less than eight (8) days, and
the closing date for such filing shall not be less than twenty (20) forty (40) days prior to
the date fixed for the primary special election. All provisions of this Charter pertaining to
primary and special elections shall apply to any primary or special election provided for
by this section, except as otherwise specifically provided herein. 
Until the vacancy in the office of Mayor has been filled by the special election, the
then President of the City Council shall take the oath of office of, and become, and shall
be styled Acting Mayor for the interim period, and as such shall exercise all the powers
and discharge all the duties of Mayor, and while so acting shall be entitled to the salary
of Mayor, but such salary shall be in lieu of, and not additional to, the salary as Council
Member in [the] event such person shall occupy both offices.
Whenever any vacancy shall occur in the office of Mayor on or after March 1st of
the year of the general City election for the office of Mayor, the then President of the
City Council shall fill the vacancy for the remainder of the vacated term in the same
manner as provided above.
Whenever any vacancy occurs in the office of any Council Member on or after
March 1st of the year of the general City election for the office of Council Member, such
vacancy shall be filled by the City Council appointing a qualified voter from the ward for
which the vacancy exists, to hold office for the remainder of such unexpired term,
provided that no such appointment shall be made after the opening date for filing for
such position in the next ensuing city primary general election.
When a vacancy for Council Member exists on or after the first date for filing, the
person elected at the general City election, upon certification of the general City election
results, shall fill the position for the remainder of the unexpired term.
Category:Charter Amendments
Category:City Governments
Category:Minnesota
Category:Voting Systems