SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Saint Paul voters traditionally go to the polls to pick their city leaders in odd-numbered years, but in this 2024 election they’ll see a question on their city ballot asking to change that system.

Supporters say this is about turnout, taking advantage of the larger turnout in presidential years.

“The idea is to allow more people to vote in our city races by having them at the same time most people are at the polls,” said Peter Butler, who is spearheading the Odd-to-Even Initiative.

His proposal, if approved by voters, would not only move Saint Paul city elections from odd years to even years, but prescribe they can only be held in presidential election years. Mayoral elections, which are now on a staggered calendar two years apart from city council elections, would be combined with City Council races starting in 2028.

“The other thing is save money. It costs about a million dollars to run an election, so we’re just paying money for an election a lot of people are not showing up for.”

In the most recent presidential election, Saint Paul turnout was 152,000 voters, compared to 48,000 in the most recent city election. Butler asserts candidates running in presidential years would have to appeal to a broader range of voters and focus more on core issues.

“I think they would appeal to the issues that most people care about, which, crime and neighborhoods and things like that. Right now, we’re getting candidates who are talking about equity, reparations, climate change, not bread-and-butter issues.”

City Council President Mitra Jalali opposes the idea of moving city elections on the premise that candidates aren’t running on vital issues.

“Climate sustainability, transportation, these are bread and butter issues. Rent stabilization is about your fundamental ability to not be priced out of your home. That is an every single month issue!” Jalali told KARE.

“I understand wanting to increase turnout, but there has to be a better way to do [that.]”

She also worried that important local issues will be lost in the shuffle of a presidential race.

“I can’t imagine already being able to campaign to voters and getting them to understand the complexity of how much local government matters for your life, if they’re also captivated by national issues that also rightfully deserve attention,” she said. 

The other issue is that Saint Paul uses ranked choice voting, with reallocation of second and third choices done by hand. The stacks of paper in that ballot-sorting process would be higher, as election workers would have to sort through three times as many ranked-choice ballots.

There’s also the question of whether Minnesota law allows a ranked-choice race to appear on the same ballot as a traditional races. It races both issues of adequate space on the ballot, as well as formatting of ballots.

“We’ll probably have to go to two pages, have a separate municipal ballot as we do today,” Butler said. “The city charter of Saint Paul allows a two-page ballot.”

Jalali said the simultaneous elections would create legal and logistical conflicts.

“I heard it directly from the Secretary of State’s office that state law currently does not contemplate ranked choice voting in even-year elections. The ballots that get printed are prescribed by the law and those statutes. You can’t put a ranked-choice election and non-ranked-choice election on the same ballot.”

We checked with the Secretary of State’s office, and they agree with Council President Jalali’s reading of the state law, which carries strict rules about how ballots must be formatted in typical, even-year elections.  

While state law allows cities to choose between even and odd years to hold elections, it does not speak specifically to the idea of combining ranked-choice races with traditional races in the same local election.

If the initiative passes, the city council members already serving four-year terms would get an extra year added to their terms. Instead of running for reelection in 2027, as prescribed by current law, they would run in 2028. The mayoral election would happen on schedule in 2025, but the winner of that mayor’s race would serve only a three-year term in order to sync up with the 2028 election year.

LE SUEUR, Minn. — In Le Sueur, Minn., there is one woman that stands out above the rest. Marion Peck is 101-years-old, still drives her car, and is more fit than many people half her age. 

She also was a top 10 finalist for the SilverSneakers member of the year. The nationwide program helps seniors with range of motion, balance and strength.

“She means everything to us,” said Peck’s SilverSneakers fitness instructor of 14 years, Krisann Krause. “She still has a purpose. She has a packed schedule, I mean, you ask her where she is off to next and she’ll rattle off five things.”

Peck always hoped to join the military, and at age 20, she got her wish. Peck joined the Navy after FDR created the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service Program during WWII. This made her the first Le Sueur woman to become a member of any of the women’s military organizations, besides army nurses.

“President Roosevelt needed women to fill the stateside jobs of the sailors so they could man the ships,” Peck said. 

She also met her husband Bill while serving and the couple had five children. One of which joined the Navy, another, joined the Peace Corps.

In a month, Peck will turn 102, but she has no plans to stop moving.

“I suppose it’s hereditary good health, but I think a great deal is the exercise that I did throughout my life, I never stopped,” Peck said.

To top it off, Le Sueur Mayor Shawn Kirby proclaimed Oct. 3 as Marion Peck Day. 

“It’s just too much, but I love every minute of it, just pour it on,” Peck said with a laugh.

MINNEAPOLIS — Hateful comments toward two Minneapolis Police recruits have Chief Brian O’Hara boiling.

“It was definitely disturbing to see this stuff on social media that’s just purely racist, hatred, and just lies,” he said. “We don’t need people, we don’t need former law enforcement or former law enforcement executives to be fanning the flames of violence against my cops. That’s gross.”

Last week, Ikran Mohamed and Lesly Vera made MPD history. Mohamed is the first Somali woman to wear the uniform, and Vera is the first permanent resident, a green card holder, to be sworn in as an MPD officer.

O’Hara said Mohamed came to the United States when she was 10 years old, living in southern Minnesota. She was a corrections officer before she joined the department.

“She could have gone anywhere in the state of Minnesota. She chose Minneapolis

He said Vera came to Minnesota when she was 4 years old and has lived in southern Minneapolis her entire life.

“She’s a permanent resident and because of a law change she is able to be a police officer and there is nothing wrong with that… and she worked extremely hard to get this position just like everyone else did,” he said. “She should be entitled to protect and serve her community just like the other recruits are.”

O’Hara said the hatred toward these women needs to stop.

“We’ve gotten calls to Minneapolis from around the country for people expressing hate about these two women all week, so it’s not just the stuff on social media. There’s been at least one post that we have found that the FBI and the BCA are aware of that is calling for violence against them,” O’Hara said.

He said these hateful messages could lead to violence toward his officers and is concerned for their safety.

“A lot of violence starts with words, and it’s just not OK to use my cops as props to try and political grandstand,” he said. “These public officials who are out there that have been saying this hateful stuff should be aware of the consequences of their actions and if something were to happen these folks have blood on their hands.”

O’Hara said he wants the best people to work for the police department and said these women have become a part of the fabric of the community who lives here.

“If we are trying to get the best naturally, we’re going to come up with folks from our communities. We’re going to come up with more women, we’re going to come up with more ethnicities and people who have not been represented before,” he said.

He said the department has struggled with recruitment but said they’ve seen an increase in applications and in different programs that lead to sworn officer positions.

He’s looking to hire more good people with strong characters like Mohamed and Vera.

“I’m very proud of these women. I’m proud of all of them, the r recruits, who again are stepping up to do the most difficult job in policing in America today is to be here in Minneapolis,” O’Hara said.