HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-085 - ADMIN Resolution - City Council - 2012/06/18RESOLUTION NO. 12-085
RESOLUTION IN OPPOSITION TO PROPOSED
"PHOTO IDENTIFICATION REQUIRED FOR VOTING"
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
WHEREAS, the 2012 Minnesota State Legislature voted to include the following
question on the election ballot at the 2012 General Election: "Shall the Minnesota Constitution
be amended to require all voters to present valid photo identification to vote and to require the
state to provide free identification to eligible voters, effective July 1, 2013?"; and
WHEREAS, the proposed constitutional amendment would deny the right to vote to any
eligible voter who is not able to provide a mandated government -issued document; and
WHEREAS, the proposed constitutional amendment will end Minnesota's same-day
voter registration as we know it, replacing it with provisional voting, which will require voters
without a qualified ID to cast a provisional ballot to be counted only if the voter goes to the local
elections office within a few days after the election and shows a qualifying ID; and
WHEREAS, this requirement will delay the reporting of election results and risks the
potential of contested election results if as many provisional ballots go uncounted as in other
states; and
WHEREAS, requiring photo identification and provisional voting adds unnecessary
complexity to voting and delays in the polling place at a higher cost to taxpayers; and
WHEREAS, this requirement will also negatively impact the voters registering at the
polls on the Election Day, and those voting by absentee ballot including military and overseas
voters; and
WHEREAS, the State of Minnesota is widely acknowledged to have one of the best
election systems in the United States, and there has been no evidence of voter impersonation,
which is the only type of voter fraud prevented by a photo identification requirement; and
WHEREAS, the high level of accuracy and integrity of the election system in Minnesota
has been confirmed by statewide recounts in 2008 and 2010; and
WHEREAS, this proposed amendment will cost millions of taxpayer dollars to
implement and operate, including the start-up and ongoing costs to local governments of the new
provisional voting system, the cost of producing and issuing free voter ID cards, voter education
about the new voting system, among other expenses, and these new costs will fall largely on
local and county taxpayers, resulting in higher property taxes or the elimination of other services;
and
WHEREAS, it is the position of the City Council that the Constitution of the State of
Minnesota does not exist to codify discrimination and exclusion, but instead to protect individual
rights and encourage voter engagement and participation; and
WHEREAS, it is the position of the City Council that the voter identification
requirement would disproportionately impact the absentee voters from the City of St. Louis
Park's five healthcare facilities who are vouched for by facility employees as allowed by current
law;
Resolution No. 12-085 -2-
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the City Council of the City of St. Louis
Park, that the City of St. Louis Park joins with the coalition of organizations that oppose the
proposed constitutional amendment to restrict the voting rights of Minnesotans by mandating
government issued documents as a condition for voting;
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of St. Louis
Park urge Minnesota voters to vote "no" on the proposed constitutional amendment at the
Tuesday, Z ovember 6, 2012 state general election.
Reviewed
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City M
Attest:
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City Clerk
Adopted by the City Council June 18, 2012