by Dennis Dalman
news@thenewsleaders.com
The City of Sartell is seeking election judges for one –and perhaps two – elections in 2012.
Depending on how many candidates file for two city-council seats, there might be a primary election Tuesday, Aug. 14. In order for that to happen, there will have to be at least five people who file – 2.5 the numbers of open seats (two). If not that many file, there will be no need for a primary election. The filing period, early this year because of the primary possibility, will open May 22 and close June 5.
The general election, which will also be a presidential election, will take place Tuesday, Nov. 6 this year.
Election judges and election-judge trainees are paid officials who staff local polling places to ensure the rights of voters are protected on election day, to check eligible voters’ names on the voting rosters and to help people in the process of voting, should they need instruction. Election judges are a vitally important part of the electoral process and of democracy itself.
To serve as an election judge or election-judge trainee, a person must be 18, a Minnesota resident and citizen of the United States. Trainees, however, can be as young as 16 years old at the time they start their training.
An election judge must be able to read, write and speak English and be able to attend a two-hour training session. Election judges cannot have had his or her voting rights revoked, cannot be the spouse or sibling of any election judge serving in the same precinct and cannot be the spouse, parent, child or sibling of any candidate on the ballot within the same precinct.
Anyone interested in becoming an election judge or trainee should call Sartell Deputy Clerk Peggy Schupp at 258-7303 or email questions to peggy@sartellmn.com.
