2008-2009 Policy Fellows' Group Projects
Working in small groups on an important public affairs project is an integral component of the Policy Fellows program, creating an opportunity for the Fellows to have a policy impact, integrate their experiences and skills, and work together closely. We’ll be featuring a summary of one of the group projects each week throughout the month of July. Congratulations to all groups on their excellent work this year.
Project Topic: Preparing for a Possible Early Voting Provision in Minnesota
Group members, L-R:
- Brian Lucas, Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota
- Lars Leafblad, KeyStone Search
- Kevin Worden, Rochester Area Habitat for Humanity
- Jake Hamlin, Cargill
"In response to the increasing level of interest among policy makers in allowing early voting in Minnesota, our group researched best practices in states similar to Minnesota in implementing this type of provision. In order to both maximize citizen participation in the electoral process, as well as to reduce the number of unnecessary absentee ballots, Minnesota may soon join the thirty other states in the nation that currently allow for some type of early voting.
We started our research process by interviewing local election officials regarding current absentee and in-person voting procedures, and talking with Minnesota lawmakers who had introduced early voting legislation in the 2009 legislative session. Following that, we reviewed all states that currently allow early voting, and narrowed our list down to four states that bore some electoral or demographic similarity to Minnesota. We interviewed election officials in Kansas, North Dakota, Iowa, and North Carolina to obtain their advice and suggestions and to ascertain early voting trends and patterns that their states experienced. We shared our results with both state and local election officials, as well as the Program for Excellence in Election Administration at the Humphrey Institute, for their use if early voting provisions are signed into law in Minnesota."
For more information, contact Kevin Worden
at 507-252-0849 x2 or exec@rahh.org.
About the Center
Under the leadership of nationally prominent political scientist Lawrence Jacobs, the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance develops practical, independent, and non-partisan solutions to pressing political and policy challenges. Founded in 2005, CSPG fosters effective and efficient governance, increases the transparency of government processes, and rebuilds the public trust in order to counteract negative influences that threaten our democracy.
One of the unique strengths of the center is that it brings together three critical components of public governance today: objective high quality analysis, publicly visible forums, and civic engagement. Through collaboration across the public, nonprofit and private sectors, the center generates new knowledge about policy and politics, convenes public events that stimulate vigorous debate, and inspires current and emerging leaders to engage in the creation of innovative approaches to addressing the vital policy issues of our time. |
