Council updated on presidential nomination primary procedures
By Per Peterson
This year’s election will be a little different than those in years past.
Diane Campbell, who was appointed Deputy Clerk at Monday’s Tracy City Council meeting, addressed the council on major changes for the 2020 election. In 2016, legislation was passed creating a presidential nomination primary, and, as Campbell stated, such a primary has not been held since 1992.
“Prior to that it has only been held three times: 1916, 1952 and 1956,” Campbell said.
The presidential primary will take place on March 3.
Campbell said anyone who wants to vote this election year will have to designate their party. Election judges will ensure that voters’ party affiliation will be private to other voters, but it will be available to the party chairperson after the election.
“When they come to vote, their party affiliation will be very private,” she said. “The judges will handle it in such a way that the people behind them will not know what ballot they get. Once the election takes place, their party affiliation will be made public to the chairperson of the parties.”
Absentee voters will receive two ballots — one DFL and one Republican, Campbell said. Voters need to vote on one of the ballots and destroy the other.
“We just want to make sure the public knows that when they get these ballots, they will only be voting one on ballot,” said Campbell.
See this week’s Headlight Herald for more on this article.