As others see it: T-minus 80 days

Talk about it

Eighty days. With primary elections completed and filings closed, central Minnesotans now have 80 days to learn about the choices they will make on Election Day.

And make no mistake, there will be a lot to learn.

It’s a presidential election year. Once-a-decade redistricting is in the mix. There are two controversial state constitutional amendments on the ballot. And remember, in a cost-saving move implemented the past several years, many municipalities’ local elections now align with the presidential races.

The result will be a Nov. 6 ballot likely to contain dozens of races and issues, no matter where you live.

First, all ballots will include the federal races for president, one Minnesota U.S. Senate seat and your respective U.S. House district. Of course, even Central Minnesotans who try to pay little attention to politics realize these races — especially for the presidency — are highly partisan, not to mention highly financed.

Those two factors alone echo the omnipresent theme of this being the most important election in U.S. history, until at least the next one. They also explain why your media consumption — especially broadcast advertising — could be a bit unbearable the next 79 days.

For Minnesotans, though, it’s reasonable to argue that the state’s portion of the ballot could be more important (and more partisan) than the federal offices. Pending potential court action, voters are expected to decide on the Voter ID and marriage amendments, plus redistricting means all 201 legislative seats are up for grabs. Also on the statewide ballot are three challenged Supreme Court seats, two Court of Appeals seats and your respective district judicial seats. ...

The volume of races is why it’s critical voters take the time in the next 84 days to ask questions of candidates, or in the case of ballot issues, ask interests groups representing all sides.

Tags: opinion, editorials, minnesota, politics, legislature