Jonathan Palmer wrote, "I think what Dennis was surprised at was
that a Sample Ballot was done for only one race. Granted it's the only one
going on, but generally ballots that have special circumstances like only
have one candidate are financed by a specific group other than a party as I
understand it. For example, in 2001, there was no endorsement for Mayor so
the DFL did not do a sample ballot, but the Stonewall DFL did and sent it
out to at lease DFL members(Brian or someone correct me if I'm remembering
incorrectly). It seems strange because these are usually done by a party or
organization so that all of their supporters know ALL of the candidates they
are supporting. It can get confusing with a lot of candidates. If it's
getting confusing with just one candidate, I don't know what that says..."
[BRM] There was a DFL Sample Ballot in 2001--in fact, there were
two, one for the primary and one for the general election--that listed the
DFL-endorsed candidates for the City Council, Board of Education, Board of
Estimate & Taxation, Library Board, and Park & Recreation Board. The DFL
Party did not endorse any candidate in the 2001 Mayoral election, so the
2001 Sample Ballot did not list a Mayoral candidate. (There were also some
City Council elections in which the DFL Party did not endorse a candidate,
so the 2001 Sample Ballot for those wards did not list a candidate for City
Council either.)
The DFL Sample Ballot in the Ward 3 special election was "financed"
by the Minneapolis DFL Party, not the State DFL Party. But because the State
DFL Party holds the mail permit under which all sample ballots anywhere in
the state are mailed, as I explained in response to Dennis Plante's message
on Saturday, the cost is first charged against the State DFL Party's account
with the Postal Service, then passed along to the endorsing organization or
organizations whose candidates are listed. Because the Minneapolis DFL Party
is the only endorsing organization involved here and will bear this sample
ballot's complete cost, we did ask if the disclaimer could identify the City
Party rather than the State Party, but were told that the disclaimer must
identify the State Party even in this unusual circumstance.
The sample ballot's primary purpose is identifying the endorsed
candidate or candidates to the voters--that is, letting the voters know whom
their elected delegates have heard and have recommended for their favorable
consideration. The sample ballot is often the only means by which the Party
itself (as opposed to the candidate or his or her campaign) communicates
directly with the voters. When the ballot contains many elections, then
hopefully the sample ballot does help lessen some confusion, but that
purpose is secondary to communicating the endorsement to the voters.
I respectfully disagree with Jonathan that "if Olin wins, it will be
a DFL victory. If Don wins, it will be a 3rd Ward victory for everyone . . .
. It will be a victory for the people." Democracy is a good thing even when
your candidate doesn't win, and it is a victory whenever citizens go to the
polls and freely vote their consciences--in secret, without fear, without a
shot being fired or a life being lost. In every nation at some time, and in
every era in some nation, even today, men and women have fought and died
just for the dream of that opportunity whose reality we Americans take for
granted.
I congratulate Jonathan on the birth of his daughter.
BRM
Brian Melendez, Chair,
Minneapolis DFL Party
Downtown
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