Minneapolis primary election date (wink, wink) to make pols reveal warchests

Photo: Henn. Cty. Library

Officials in Minneapolis can confidently predict the level of voter turnout at the city’s next scheduled election: precisely zero. That’s because this morning, by an 11-0 vote, the city council set Sept. 15 as the date for a primary election they have no intention of actually holding. It’s a work-around so candidates will have to disclose campaign-finance figures as usual, despite the new ranked-choice voting system that makes a primary election unneeded. Without a primary date, campaigns could keep finances secret until Oct. 27.

The sham primary election will bring down the high voter-turnout average that the city is so proud of, but the ordinance introduced by 8th Ward Council Member Elizabeth Glidden includes some fancy footwork to preserve campaign-finance transparency (pdf):

For the sole purpose of filing campaign reports pursuant to Minn. Stat. §383B.048, subd. 1, the City hereby designates the first Tuesday after the second Monday in September during municipal election years as the date for a regular primary. Campaign reports will be due one week prior to this date, as provided in Minn. Stat. §383B.048, subd. 1, as if a primary were being held for such elective offices, notwithstanding the elimination of primary elections for municipal offices pursuant to Minneapolis Charter Chapter 2, Section 5B.