Hi proofreaders,
Please note: I have added the words “Center, Boldify” before each line that should be centered and boldified. Thanks.
Dennis
by Dennis Dalman
news@thenewsleaders.com
Some people may wonder why names on election-day ballots are not printed in alphabetical order.
The answer is because a randomized computer selection prints out the ballots in many different sequences so the names on the ballot are in a variety of orders. The rationale behind that process is if one candidate’s name – say, Andrea Anderson – was the first name on every ballot, that might give her an advantage. The last name on a ballot – Zeke Zelinksi, say – might have a disadvantage.
Thus, because of ballot-name rotation, the name of each candidate will appear an equal amount of times on the top, the bottom and everywhere in between.
All of the general-election ballots are printed by the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office.
The following is a sample ballot of what voters will see in the Nov. 6 general election in west Sartell, which is in Stearns County. Please note for residents in east Sartell, which is part of Benton County, the ballot will be almost identical except for the candidates for the Benton County Commissioner race, several candidates for Soil and Water Supervisor, several Sauk Rapids-Rice School Board candidates and a school-district question. For a listing, see end of this story.
All Sartell voters will choose two members, from a candidate field of four, to four-year terms to the Sartell City Council.
Sartell voters on the west side of the city will also choose four members to the Sartell-St. Stephen School Board. Three of those people, from a candidate field of eight, will be elected to four-year terms. One person, from a candidate field of two, will be elected to serve the rest of a vacated term due to expire on Jan. 5, 2015???.
All voters throughout the state can vote “yes” or “no” on two proposed Minnesota Constitution amendments. (For more about the amendments, see related story in today’s newspaper.)
The following is a list of choices voters will see on the Nov. 6 ballots. Voters are allowed to take a sample ballot to their polling places to refer to as they vote on the actual ballots. To find out more about ballot choices, visit the Minnesota Secretary of State website at: www.sos.state.mn.us. There are many links on that website for specific questions voters may have.
Center, Boldify. U.S. President and Vice President
Republican Party: Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan.
Democratic Party: Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Libertarian Party: Gary Johnson and Jim Gray.
Socialist Workers Party: James Harris and Maura DeLuca.
Constitution Party: Virgil Goode and Jim Clymer.
Constitutional Government Party: Dean Morstad and Josh Franke-Hyland.
Green Party: Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala.
Grassroots Party: Jim Carlson and George McMahon.
Socialism and Liberation Party: Peta Lindsay and Yari Osorio.
Justice Party: Ross C. “Rocky” Anderson and Luis J. Rodriguez.
Write-In Option.
Center, Boldify. U.S. Senator
Independence Party: Stephen Williams.
Republican Party: Kurt Bills.
Democratic Farmer Labor Party: Amy Klobuchar.
Grassroots Party: Tim Davis.
Minnesota Open Progressives Party: Michael Cavlan.
Write-In Option.
Center, Boldify U.S. Representative District 6
Republican Party: Michele Bachmann.
Democratic Farmer Labor Party: Jim Graves.
Write-In Option.
Center, Boldify State Senator District 13
Republican Party: Michelle Fischbach.
Democratic Farmer Labor Party: Peggy Boeck.
Write-In Option.
Center, Boldify U.S. Rep. District 13B
Republican Party: Tim O’Driscoll
Democratic Farmer Labor Party: Shannon Schroeder.
Write-In Option.
Center, Boldify Proposed Constitutional Amendment 1
Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to provide that only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Minnesota?
Center, Boldify Proposed Constitutional Amendment 2
Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to require all voters to present valid photo identification to vote and to require the state to provide free identification to eligible voters, effective July 1, 2013?
Center, Boldify Stearns County Commissioner District 2
Mark J. Bromenschenkel.
Write-In Option.
Center, Boldify Soil and Water Supervisor
District 2
Lawrence (Larry) Salzer.
Matthew Skwira.
District 3
David Weller.
Write-In Option.
District 4
David Brinkman.
Write-In Option
Center, Boldify Sartell City Council
Center, Boldify (Elect 2)
Steve Hennes.
Mike “Spike” Piotrowski.
Sandra L. Cordie.
Amy Braig-Lindstrom.
Write-In Option.
Center, Boldify Sartell-St. Stephen School Board
Center, Boldify (Elect 3)
Pam Raden.
Keith Yapp.
Jason Nies.
Dan Goetz.
Molly Vogt.
Christopher Condon.
Chris Gross.
Krista Laurich Durrwachter.
Write-In Option.
Center, Boldify Sartell-St. Stephen School Board
Center, Boldify Special Election to fill vacancy in term expiring Jan. 5, 2015???.
Center, Boldify (Elect 1)
Gary L. Schnellert.
Michelle Meyer.
Write-In Option.
Center, Boldify Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice
Lorie Skjerven Gildea.
Dan Griffith.
Write-In Option.
Associate Justice 1
Dean Barkley.
Barry Anderson.
Write-In Option.
Associate Justice 4
Tim Tinglestad.
David R. Stras.
Write-In Option.
Center, Boldify Judges
Court of Appeals 6
Renee L. Worke.
Write-In Option.
Court of Appeals 7
Jill Flaskamp Halbrooks.
Write-In Option.
7th District Court 1
Kris H. Davick-Halfen.
Write-In Option.
7th District Court 7
Mary B. Mahler.
Write-In Option.
7th District Court 10
Vicki E. Landwehr.
Write-In Option.
7th District Court 12
Wally B. Senyk
Write-In Option.
7th District Court 19
Barbara R. Hanson.
Write-In Option.
7th District Court 20
William J. Cashman.
Write-In Option.
Center, Boldify Ballot for East Sartell
It will be identical to the one above except for the Benton County Commissioner race (one candidate), several candidates for Soil and Water Supervisor, several for Sauk Rapids-Rice School Board and a school-district question.
Center, Boldify Sauk Rapids-Rice School Board
(Elect 4)
Mark M. Hauck.
Tracey Fiereck.
Jan Solarz.
Tracy L. Morse.
Jon L. Hull.
Write-In Option.
Center, Boldify School District Question
The board of Independent School District No. 47 (Sauk Rapids-Rice), Minnesota has proposed to increase the School District’s general education revenue by $380 per pupil. The proposed referendum revenue authorization would be applicable for six (6) years unless otherwise revoked or reduced as provided by law. Shall the increase in the revenue proposed by the board of Independent School District No. 47 (Sauk Rapids-Rice) be approved? By voting “YES” on this ballot question, you are voting for a property-tax increase.
Center, Boldify Benton County Commissioner District 3
Jim McMahon.
Write-In Option.
Center, Boldify Soil and Water Supervisor
District 1:
Wade Bastian.
Write-In Option.
District 4
Bernie Thole.
Write-In Option.
District 5
Chuck Rau.
Write-In Option.