By Beth Van Hove, Nobles County Auditor/Treasurer
In The Globe’s Aug. 26 article “Board sets February referendum date,” it is referenced that the Auditor-Treasurer (A-T) office had expressed concern that there may be insufficient time between now and November to prepare everything necessary for the election.
The Nobles County A-T office works under statutory guidelines set in place by Minnesota Election Laws to facilitate all elections. To have added a referendum question to the Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2017 election ballot, the school district had until Friday, Aug. 25 to notify the Commissioner of Education and the A-T Office. The established election law deadline(s) allows all Minnesota A-T offices time to prepare for elections.
The amount of time committed to prepare for an election with the addition of the referendum question would not have required any more time in the Nobles County A-T office than it already is putting forth due to the ISD 518 School Board Member election that is set to take place on Nov. 7.
It is important that the public is aware that the delay in the referendum vote is not in any way due to the Nobles County A-T office. The A-T office will continue to facilitate all elections as outlined by Minnesota Election Laws, as it always has.
