Documenters report: Ramsey County Board addresses election security concerns
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Twin Cities Documenters (via MinnPost)
MinnPost’s Twin Cities Documenters program trains and pays community members to take notes at local government meetings. Below are Documenter Laura Mullins’ summary and observations from the Oct. 20 meeting of the Ramsey County Board. You can find Laura’s full notes here, which include links to the agenda and video recording.
About the Ramsey County board:
Ramsey County is governed by the Ramsey County Board, which is made up of seven elected officials. The county oversees multiple services, including social services, public health, and transportation. It sets the budget for the county sheriff’s and county attorney’s offices.
These meetings typically do not include a general public comment period. There are occasional public hearings for specific items. Residents can find who represents them here, and can find contact information for their commissioner by clicking the link for their district.
Staff are meeting with local law enforcement to clarify laws and procedures regarding law enforcement jurisdiction on election day, including remaining outside the polling place unless invited by election officials. The sheriff is providing a designated detail to assist with security of election materials after polls close.
No “observers” are allowed in MN polls during voting hours. Election judges have been trained on deescalation and provided duty cards outlining steps for responding to disruptions at the polls. Election Services also has an emergency response team on election day to coordinate response to a wide range of issues.
In their discussion, board members and staff highlighted misinformation on social media regarding marks on ballots. They emphasized that election judges are required to initial ballots, but those initials do not spoil the ballot. When a ballot is placed in the machine, any issues with the ballot will be flagged and a voter can request a replacement ballot.
Staff recommended using trusted sources, such as the county’s FAQ on Voting Basics or contacting Ramsey County Elections directly. Residents can also visit MNvotes.gov, the MN Secretary of State website where voters can check their registration, polling place, and see a sample ballot for their jurisdiction.
During the “County Connections” part of the meeting, the board received an update from the county manager regarding additional staffing approved earlier this year.
17 positions costing $1 million were added to the Financial Assistance Services team to assist with new administrative mandates in H.R. 1, also known as the “Big Beautiful Bill,” for managing federal programs like SNAP. 28 new specialists have been hired and currently undergoing training to prepare for the increased burden in 2027.
32 FTE positions are required to maintain mandated staffing levels in the Adult Detention Center without incurring excessive overtime costs. Despite hiring, staffing is only at 30, reducing expected savings to $600k instead of $900k in 2026. The county expects to save $2.6 million in 2027.
Observations and follow up questions:
Accessibility: Did you face any challenges that made it harder to document the Ramsey County Board meeting or that may have made it difficult for others to attend?
No issues
Scene:
I attended this meeting in-person
About how many other members of the public did you see at the meeting?
18
Is there anything else we should know about the meeting environment? (i.e. was there a protest outside?)
Nothing notable
Notable: Do you have any follow up questions or other observations to share?
A public hearing on ordinances to establish the Environmental Services Department and abolish the Enterprise and Administrative Services Department is scheduled for the Nov. 3 board meeting.
Residents with voting questions can reference the county’s FAQ Voting Basics; MNvotes.gov, the MN Secretary of State website where voters can check their registration, polling place, and see a sample ballot for their jurisdiction; or contact Ramsey County Elections directly.
