Essay
You should vote yes on #HF0037 SF529, or Free, Fair, and Equal Elections. This bill would be an amendment to the Minnesota constitution, the new section 18 of article 1. If this is passed the general public would be allowed to vote on it in the 2026 elections, if a majority is reached this amendment would come into effect January 1st 2027.
There are records of voter intimidation since at least 1875. In 1875 and 1876 there were records showing that black voters were attacked in the southern United States. Preventing most of them from getting a fair vote and thus causing an elected government in Mississippi and South Carolina that did not properly represent the people of those states. As recently as 1981 there have been armed poll watchers in New Jersey which were shown to skew the election results.
With the National Guard threatened in Chicago and Los Angeles, especially with it happening so close to election season, we should be on alert. This can be seen as a voter intimidation tactic. Along with this, fears of ICE showing up at polling places have been high as well. This could happen in Minnesota, passing this bill would allow for this to be punishable.
While it is currently illegal to tamper with elections via voter intimidation, it is still happening and still has a risk of happening here, thus we should be prepared. It would be better to pass this as soon as possible, but we should still let the people of Minnesota vote on this amendment. Especially since 2028 is a presidential election year, this bill should be passed before such a major election.
This bill would allow for fair, free and equal elections throughout the state of Minnesota, giving us the best way to gauge the people’s opinion. Not only is voter intimidation a problem in our country’s past but it is a problem now. We need to address this problem quickly to make sure that the voters, in our home state, can stay safe and be sure to make their best decision. This is why you need to vote yes, on amending the constitution and providing Free, Fair, and Equal elections to the people of Minnesota.