Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Election Year 2024 starts this month!

How can that be?
The election is not until November 2024, right?


Not exactly!

If you want to have a say in:
how your party is run,
who its candidates are,
what are party priorities,


 In Minnesota the process starts this month.  

 

By November 2024 those decisions will already be made. During the nomination process, the Political Parties will have picked their candidates for all elected offices from President to state legislators, approved their party platforms and elected leaders to guide local county parties for the next two years.
According to Kay Rave, Hubbard County Auditor, “The 2020 Presidential Nomination Primary election saw 2,962 votes cast in Hubbard County, or 22 percent of 13,280 voters registered on March 3, 2020.” In comparison the 2020 General Election had an 86 percent  turnout. Hubbard County can improve these statistics.

If you have never been or it has been a long time since you have been to a party precinct caucus in MN and/or you didn’t vote in the first Presidential Nominating Primary in 2020, come to Northwoods Bank Community Room at 6:30 p.m. on January 31st.  League of Women Voters and Park Rapids Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce will present Presidential Nominating Primary/Party Caucus Nuts and Bolts.    
 



A panel will consist of a representative from the Hubbard County Democratic Farmer Labor Party (DFL), a representative from the Hubbard County Republican Party (GOP) and the voter service chair from the League of Women Voters Park Rapids (LWVPRA). Panelists representing the political parties will explain their caucus procedures and the importance of getting grassroots input. The LWVPRA voter chair will explain Presidential Nominating Primary procedures. This Primary is an election run by the county for the political parties. Voters may go to the courthouse to cast an early ballot (from Jan. 19 to March 4) or go to their regular polling place March 5 to cast a ballot.

Programs such as this are part of the the League of Women Voters of Minnesota mission of voter education. LWV Minnesota is a nonpartisan organization, committed to civic engagement through the work of 35 community-based chapters with more than 2,300 members in Minnesota.  Being nonpartisan means that LWV neither opposes nor supports a political party or candidate even when the office is unaffiliated with a party.
 
All programs are free and open to the public. Please direct any questions about LWVPRA activities, events or on how to join by emailing: lwvparkrapids@lwvmn.org. Follow our activities, events on this website: