A reader wants to know: “Guys what is the correct vote on these city questions? I looked for a wedge live article like I always do but I could not find.”
You’re probably going to want to vote yes on both. City question 2 simply fixes the timing for special elections to comply with state law.
City question 1 is related to redistricting. City redistricting is likely to be completed after the city’s normal 2021 election. As a consequence, a relatively new state law would then trigger a new election for City Council in 2023, using the freshly redrawn ward boundaries. City elections in Minneapolis normally occur on what’s called a unified ballot, the same year every four years. If “yes” wins, the City Council’s 2023 election (triggered by state law) will be for a two-year term rather than four. This prevents Minneapolis elections for City Council, Mayor and Park Board from becoming staggered (and forcing voters to show up every two years to elect various officials). All city elected offices would become resynchronized on the same ballot in 2025, with winners elected to four-year terms.