by Dennis Dalman
It’s not too early for St. Joseph residents to start thinking about and planning to vote for federal, state and local candidates in the Nov. 5 general election.
Local voters will help decide who will be the next U.S. president and Minnesota U.S. senator, as well as many other local and state officials, including judges.
(Please note: The how-to of registration, early voting and more voting information can be found toward the end of this story.)
Polls will be open Tuesday, Nov. 5 from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. on that day – Election Day. St. Joseph City Clerk Kayla Klein told the Newsleaders that 35 trained election judges (city residents) have already been approved by the city council and are ready for service on Nov. 5. Some of them, she added, might serve as back-up judges.
There are two precincts and two polling places in St. Joseph, which means there will be slightly different ballots at those two polling places. That is because Precinct 1 is located in State Representative District 13A in which Cindy Aho, a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, is challenging incumbent Lisa Demuth, Republican.
Precinct 2 is part of State Representative District 14A where incumbent Bernie Perryman, Republican, is being challenged by Abdi Daisane, member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.
Other than those two differences, the ballots will contain the same voting options.
Where to vote?
People living in Precinct 1 will vote at Heritage Hall, 12 Minnesota St. W. (east end of the Catholic church). Precinct 1 includes all of those who live west of CR 121/College Avenue/CR 2 and all residents who live north of CR 75.
People living in Precinct 2 will vote at the St. Joseph Government Center, 75 Calloway St. E. The residents in Precinct 2 are those who live east of CR 121/College Avenue/CR 2 and all residents who live south of CR 75.
Local candidates
Among local candidate choices, St. Joseph voters will also decide who will be their next mayor, their next city council members and four people who will serve on the St. Cloud Area School District School Board (of which St. Joseph is a part).
Please note that for every voting category, there will be spaces on the ballot on which voters can write in their own choices for candidates if they are not pleased with candidates whose names are on the ballot.
Mayor
Competing for St. Joseph mayor are Jon Hazen, Robert Loso and Adam Scepaniak.
City Council
For city council, the three candidates are Kelly Beniek (incumbent), Troy Goracke and Adam Schnettler. Voters can select up to two of those three candidates.
School Board
For school board, the choices are Scott Andreasen (incumbent), Yoanna Ayala-Zaldana, Al Dahlgren (incumbent), Diana Fenton, Shannon Haws (incumbent), Bruce Hentges (incumbent) and Monica Segura-Schwartz (incumbent). Voters can choose up to four of those seven candidates.
Commissioner
There are two candidates for Stearns County Commissioner for District 2: incumbent Joe Perske and challenger Jerry Theisen.
U.S. Senator
The choices for U.S. senator are Amy Klobuchar, Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (incumbent); Joyce Lynne Lacey, Independent Alliance Party; Royce White, Republican Party; and Rebecca Whiting, Libertarian Party.
Representative
For District Six state representative, the choices are Tom Emmer, Republican Party (incumbent) and challenger Jeanne Hendricks, Democratic-Labor Party.
President & V.P.
Last but not least, there are 10 candidates for U.S. President and Vice President: Donald J. Trump/JD Vance (Republican Party), Kamala Harris, Tim Walz (Democratic Party), Chase Oliver, Mike ter Maat (Libertarian Party), Robert F. Kennedy/Nicole Shanahan (We the People Party), Jill Stein/Samson Kpadenou (Green Party), Claudia De la Cruz/Karina Garcia (Socialism and Liberation Party), Rachele Fruit/Dennis Richter (Socialist Workers Party), Cornel West/Melina Abdullah (Justice for All Party) and Shiva Ayyadurai/Chrystal Ellis (Independent Party).
Questions
In addition to choosing candidates, two questions will be on the ballot. One of them is a proposed Minnesota Constitutional Amendment, concerning lottery proceeds, that states the following:
“Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to protect drinking-water sources and the water quality of lakes, rivers, and streams; conserve wildlife habitat and natural areas; improve air quality; and expand access to parks and trails by extending the transfer of proceeds from the state-operated lottery to the environment and natural-resources trust fund, and to dedicate the proceeds for these purposes?”
The other question is whether or not to help fund the proposed Stearns County Justice Center with a voter-approved county sales tax. It states the following:
“Shall Stearns County be authorized to impose a sales & use tax of three-eighths of one percent (0.375%) to finance up to $325,000,000, plus associated bonding costs, for the construction of a Justice Center facility, consisting of law enforcement, judicial center and jail? The sales tax would be used solely to finance construction, upgrades and financing costs for the Justice Center and remain in effect for 30 years or until the project is paid for, whichever comes first. These services and facilities are mandated by the State of Minnesota to be provided by Counties.”
Other candidates
Voters will also have the chance to choose candidates for a U.S. senator, a U.S. representative for the Sixth District, county offices, justices for the Minnesota Supreme Court, for Court of Appeals and for District Court.
Who can vote?
Anyone wanting to vote must be a U.S. citizen and at least 18 on Election Day (Nov. 5 this year), a Minnesota resident for at least 20 days, not currently incarcerated for a felony conviction and not under a court order that revokes one’s right to vote.
Register to vote
People can register to vote at polling places on Election Day or at early voting locations before Election Day. Those who choose either of those options should bring along with them a valid Minnesota driver’s license, a learning permit or another identification card with photo. Also valid is a tribal identification card (for Native Americans) showing name, address, photo and signature.
Other forms of valid identification cards are a U.S. passport; a U.S. military or veteran I.D. card; a Minnesota university, college or technical college I.D. card; or a Minnesota high school I.D. card.
Those who register in person at the polls should, in addition, bring a document showing the current address where they live. Such documents could be a bill or start-of-service statement dated within 30 days before the election; phone, TV or internet service bill; utility bills; a banking or credit card; rent or mortgage statements, a residential lease or rent agreement valid through Election Day; or a current student fee statement.
All eligible voters are automatically registered to vote when they get a state-issued I.D. card.
Yet another way to verify your address is to bring with you to the polls a person living in your precinct to “vouch” for you that you do, indeed, live at your stated address.
Choose a time
Most polling places see a significant increase in voters during the early morning hours (7 a.m. to 9 a.m.) and again in the evening (6 p.m. to 8 p.m.).
To avoid the possibility of long lines, try to go to your polling place during the middle portion of the day. Also, a reminder that a Minnesota law states this: “Every employee who is eligible to vote in an election has the right to be absent from work for the purpose of voting during the morning of the day of that election, without penalty or deduction from salary of wages because of the absence.”
Early voting
Two other ways to avoid crowds is to vote via mail or vote in person on days before Election Day.
Stearns
If you’re a Stearns County resident, you can vote until Nov. 4 from 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at: Stearns County Service Center, 3301 CR 138, Waite Park or at: St. Cloud City Lake George Municipal Complex, 1101 Seventh St. S., St. Cloud.
Help available
For those who need help with registration, they can call 1-877-600-VOTE (8683) or contact their county’s election office. The Stearns County Election Office number is 320-656-3920.
