All of the city council members are on the ballot this year. Because of the redistricting process completed in 2022, every Minneapolis City Council member will be up for reelection this year to serve a two-year term. In 2025, council candidates will be back on the ballot returning to the traditional four-year term. And this will be the first time the 13 city council members will be elected following major changes to the city charter (the City’s constitution).
Aug 15 was the last day for candidates for any of the 13 city council wards to file to be on the Nov. 7 municipal ballot. The following candidates, listed by ward and in order of filing date, have filed to be on the ballot in wards that are in the greater Longfellow Nokomis area.
Ward 2: Robin Wonsley
Ward 8: Andrea Jenkins, Soren Stevenson, Bob Sullentrop and Terry While.
Ward 9: Jason Chavez and Daniel Orban.
Ward 11: Emily Koski and Gabrielle Prosser.
Ward 12: Luther Ranhiem, Aurin Chowdhury and Nancy Ward.
Write-in candidates will still be an option.
Early voting period | September 20 - November 4 Vote early in-person Vote early by mail |
Early registration deadline | Tuesday, October 15 Registration deadline is 5 p.m. if registering by paper and 11:59 p.m. if registering online. If you miss this deadline, you can still register on Election Day or through the absentee voting process. Register to vote |
Recommended deadline to apply for a ballot |
Tuesday, October 29 Apply for a mail ballot |
Deadlines to return your mail ballot |
Tuesday, November 5 Ballots sent in the mail must arrive on or by November 5. Ballots dropped off in person due by 3 p.m. Ballots delivered using a service (Fed-Ex, UPS, etc.) due by 8 p.m. How to return your ballot |
Election Day | Tuesday, November 5 Polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Find where you vote |
The League of Women Voters Minneapolis is co-sponsoring forums this fall with community organizations. The forums will include candidates for City Council representing Wards 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, and 13.
The forum series is as follows:
The forum series and co-sponsors is as follows:
All forums will also be live streamed and video recorded for later viewing. Go to the League of Women Voters Minneapolis website (lwvmpls.org) to find the link to live stream or view the recording. All candidates filing for office will be invited. LWV Minneapolis will not conduct candidate forums for any uncontested races.
Candidates will respond to questions on a wide variety of issues of concern to voters. This event is free and open to the public.
The League of Women Voters Minneapolis is cosponsoring this event with local co-sponsors to bring nonpartisan voter education to the community. LWV does not support or oppose candidates for office or political parties.
Email Questions in Advance or Submit at Event
Voters attending the forum have the opportunity to submit written questions for the candidates. The League also has an email (vote@lwvmpls.org) for voters to submit questions in advance. By League of Women Voter policy, the identity of the person asking the question is confidential. Any questions submitted via email will remain confidential with all identifying information removed before the event. Audience members also can submit questions in writing at the event.
View Recordings of 2023 City Council Candidate forums
Links to the recordings for all 2023 City Council candidate forums already held can be found at lwvmpls.org/for-voters/.
The League of Women Voters Minneapolis, a nonpartisan 501(c)3 political organization, encourages informed and active participation of citizens in government and influences public policy through education and advocacy. Membership is open to all citizens. Membership information will also be available at the Candidate Forum.
For more information, please contact Elisabeth Hanson at vote@lwvmpls.org.
The League of Women Voters Minneapolis, a nonprofit 501(c)3 political organization, encourages informed and active participation of citizens in government and influences public policy through education and advocacy. LWV does not support or oppose candidates for public office or political parties.
The Messenger and Southwest Connector reached out to local candidates with questions on a variety of issues. Here are the responses of the candidates who responded. Any who respond after our print deadline will be added as they come in.
VOTE411 is committed to ensuring voters have the information they need to successfully participate in every election. Whether it's local, state or federal, every election is important to ensuring our laws and policies reflect the values and beliefs of our communities. More at www.vote411.org
View sample ballots and get election results on the Minnesota Secretary of State web site. You can also sign up to be an election judge, learn about other ways to vote, and register to vote here. Information is available in multiple language, including Somali, Hmong, Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian, Chinese, Lao, Oromo, Khamer and Amharic. More here: https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/
Voting in elections is your opportunity to be heard, hold elected officials accountable, and have a say in important issues that affect your community. Prepare to vote so you can take part in our democracy. Learn more about the Hennepin County elections here:
Learn more about the Minneapolis City Council Elections, ranked choice voting, how to register to vote, how to find your polling place and more. Go to https://vote.minneapolismn.gov/.
How do our elections work and why are they are fair and accurate? Skim this resource or dig into specific aspects/issues for a deeper dive. Go to Elections 411
League of Women Voters MN does not invite judicial candidates to participate in the Vote411 Voter’s Guide due to the number of candidates across the state and associated administrative costs. This combined with the fact that most judicial candidates want to keep a low profile make this a practical decision. Information about judicial candidates is harder to find than it is for candidates of other offices.
However, there are a few things voters can do to learn more about candidates and make their voices heard.
Understand the Process: In Minnesota, attorneys can become judges by being elected or appointed by the Governor. Selecting and appointing judges when vacancies arise on the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and the ten Judicial District Courts in Minnesota is one of the Governor’s most important constitutional responsibilities. An estimated 90% of judges are appointed by the Governor. Appointed judges must go through a lengthy selection process before being recommended to the Governor. If appointed, they must stand for election district-wide in the next general election that is more than one year after the swearing-in date. If a candidate files to run for election, there is no vetting process and it is especially important for
voters to research candidates. An elected judge’s term is 6 years.
Make your Voice Heard: Voters can sign up for news releases from the Judicial Selection
Commission to learn about who is being appointed and to participate in the public comment periods. Public comment periods are a citizen’s best opportunity to voice their opinions on judicial candidates before their names appear on the ballot.
Get Involved: Take steps to learn and stay in the loop!
● Interested citizens (lawyers and non-lawyers) are encouraged to join the nonpartisan MN Judicial Selection Commission when there are vacancies. This commission reviews judicial applications and makes recommendations to the Governor.
● Sign up for news releases from the Judicial Selection Commission to learn about
candidates and to weigh in during the public comment period.
● Do your research. Most judicial candidates want to keep a low profile. Sitting judges’ biographies can be found on the MN Judicial Branch website. To see if a judge has been reprimanded, check MN Board on Judicial Standards.
● For new candidates (not appointed) running for election, research where they worked before, look at their social media profiles (if they have them) and search local papers for stories related to cases the candidate worked on or other related information pertaining to the candidate in order to determine if the candidate possesses the right attributes and professional experience to be a judge.
● In the rare case that an election is contested, voters can usually find statements from candidates in MN Lawyer or Bench & Bar of Minnesota.
● To learn more about the structure, functions, personnel and finances for the judicial
branch of state government in MN read: The Minnesota Judiciary: A Guide for
Legislators.
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