John,

This week marks four years since the attempted insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, a stark reminder of the urgent need for reforms that address the roots of political polarization and extremism. Since then, we have redoubled our efforts to advance ranked choice voting (RCV), a proven electoral reform that promotes unity over division and moderation over extremism. By rewarding candidates who build broad coalitions and secure majority support, RCV strengthens our democracy and helps prevent the conditions that lead to events like January 6th.

In fact, in remarks announcing his resignation earlier this week, Canadian Prime Minister said that his biggest regret is that he was unable to enact electoral reform that would allow voters to rank their preferences. "I do wish that we'd been able to change the way we elect our governments in this country so that people could choose a second choice or a third choice on the same ballot," he said. He shared that under such a system, “people would have looked to see that they have in common rather than trying to polarize and divide Canadians against each other. In this time, figuring out how to pull together and find common ground is really important for democracies.” 

RCV continues to gain momentum in the United States, with states like Maine and Alaska adopting it and more than 50 municipalities implementing it locally. In Minnesota, we made significant progress in 2024: successfully defending RCV against repeal in Bloomington and coming within two votes of passing the RCV local option bill last year. This critical legislation would empower all local jurisdictions in Minnesota to adopt RCV if they choose.

In 2025, we remain steadfast in our commitment to advocating for this bill’s passage and safeguarding the progress we've made in cities like Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Minnetonka, Bloomington, and St. Louis Park.

Our work to protect and expand democracy is already underway this year. Read on to learn more about our efforts and how you can get involved.

Photo by Tyler Merbler

Gearing up for 2025

The start of the 2025 legislative session is already off to a tumultuous beginning, with uncertainty deepening due to upcoming special elections to fill vacancies in the House (40B) and Senate (SD60) on January 28th—two weeks after the session begins on January 14th. For now, Republicans hold a 67-66 seat advantage in the House. While the DFL is expected to retain the 40B seat, restoring parity, GOP leaders have threatened to block the seating of Representative Brad Tabke, who won his Shakopee race narrowly. 

If this occurs, Republicans would maintain majority control for the duration of the session, upending the tentative power-sharing agreement between the parties. In response, Democrats have signaled they may refuse to attend the session's start, denying the House the quorum needed to convene.

In the Senate, Republicans and Democrats are evenly split until January 28th, when the special election to fill the late Senator Dziedzic's seat in SD60 concludes. As SD60 is a strong DFL district, Democrats are expected to regain majority control in the Senate after the election.

What does this mean for our work this session? Little legislative progress is likely before the special elections are resolved and the legislature is fully seated and organized. Even then, the divided nature of the legislature will make bipartisan support essential for advancing any bills. While this environment presents challenges, we remain committed to pursuing the RCV local option bill or components of it that can attract bipartisan backing. 

Additionally, we will be vigilant in opposing any measures to ban RCV—a tactic that has been enacted in several other states and attempted previously in Minnesota. Protecting the progress we’ve made and defending RCV from repeal will remain central to our efforts this session.

January 28th Special Elections

Late last year, State Senator Kari Dziedzic passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. Senator Dziedzic was a steadfast champion of RCV and a tireless advocate for democracy. Her leadership and dedication will be greatly missed. 

To fill her seat in North Minneapolis (SD60)  and the House District 40 seat (Roseville and Shoreview)—vacated due to a residency challenge against the winner— Governor Walz has called for special elections to be held on January 28th, with a primary if needed on January 14th. For SD 60 voters, early voting in the primary starts today. 

We’ve been actively vetting candidates for these seats and have been issuing endorsements to those who have expressed their support of the RCV Local Option bill. You can find our complete list of endorsed candidates here.  

Stay tuned for updates on the special elections and as we roll out our legislative strategy this session and prepare for a robust RCV education program throughout the summer and fall across the metro area in the five cities using RCV this year to elect their municipal leaders. 

Together, let’s keep moving RCV forward in 2025! 

With gratitude, 

The FairVote Minnesota team

FairVote Minnesota
550 Vandalia Street, Suite 210
Saint Paul, MN 55114
United States 

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