New Hope Senator Pushed Super Tuesday, still pushing Primary Privacy
Minnesota might not be participating in Super Tuesday if a local senator hadn’t pushed for change.
“It came about because of the chaos that both the Republicans and Democrats experienced in 2016,” said DFL Senator Ann Rest of New Hope. “Trying to get to precinct caucuses to cast a paper ballot… On a Post-It note sometimes.”
The senator authored the bill that changed Minnesota from a caucus to a primary system. She is also trying to get a bill passed which would keep voter party affiliations private – that’s having less success. She says Republican Senate President Pro-TempMary Kiffmeyer is refusing to allow a vote on the matter.
“There are more Republicans supporting my bill as authors than Democrats,” she notes. “It just mystifies me why my bill can’t get a hearing.” Rest says she’s hopeful the lack of voter privacy in this primary won’t keep too many people at home, as the caucus system wasn’t private either.
You can track that bill here.
