A group of election provisions failed in 2002 and are now dead. The bills may be introduced again in future legislative sessions.

No representation

New legislative and congressional district boundaries may leave residents in cities that elect by ward without representation because of the length of city council terms.
Rep. Phyllis Kahn (DFL-Mpls) and Sen. John Marty (DFL-Roseville) sponsored a plan that would have solved this problem, but the bill did not make it out of committee in either body. It would have required council members elected by ward for four-year terms to run for a new term in 2003.
Kahn said that a few years ago the city of Minneapolis went to four-year terms for city council members. Those elected last November under current ward boundaries won't run again until 2005. In a worst case scenario, two ward members could end up in the same ward following redistricting, and some residents may not have a representative.
HF2593/ SF3003

State your party

People currently serving as election judges are required to disclose party affiliation so there is a balance of party representation in each precinct.
A bill proposed this year would have allowed individuals not affiliated with a party to serve as election judges.
Sponsored by Rep. Tim Mahoney (DFL-St. Paul) and Sen. Linda Scheid (DFL-Brooklyn Park), the proposal would allow election officials to address a growing problem of recruiting people to serve as judges.
The bill passed 45-12 in the Senate, but did not receive a vote on the House floor.
HF3283/ SF2950

Initiative and Referendum falls short

Minnesota voters would have chosen whether to establish an initiative and referendum process in the state, under a bill that died in 2002.
Sponsored by Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-Eden Prairie), the bill would have put a constitutional amendment question on the 2002 general election ballot asking voters whether the state should establish a system where voters adopt laws or amend the constitution directly on the ballot.
The bill passed the House 76-57 but stalled in the Senate Rules and Administration Committee.
HF643/SFnone

Two-year terms remain

Voters will not be given a chance this year to decide whether House members should serve two- or four-year terms.
Rep. Roxann Daggett (R-Frazee) and Sen. Keith Langseth (DFL-Glyndon) sponsored a bill that would have placed a constitutional amendment question on the 2002 general election ballot asking whether the state should go to a system of staggered four-year terms in both the House and the Senate.
Under the proposal, one-half of the members of each body would be elected every two years.
The bill passed through a number of House committees, but did not receive a floor vote. The Senate version stalled in committee.
HF289/ SF1514

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