Vote as if your country depends on it
As the days slip away, bringing the midterm elections closer, we continue to see our mentally unstable president flailing about in ever-increasing bizarre gyrations, mimicking the downward spiral of his approval ratings. His attempts to control who can vote and how we vote are as outlandish as they are dangerous. If I had attempted to write a political novel a few years ago with scenarios that we have all been witnessing, I’m sure it would have been rejected by editors for being too outlandish. Yet we have been living through a political reality that has caused many people to forswear taking in the news that is spewed out constantly about the latest illegal, cruel, greedy, uncaring, or immoral action taken or attempted by the president or the MAGA Republican legislators and supporters. While it probably makes sense to ration how much news to take in at any given time, in the extreme, it carries with it the possibility of being completely disconnected.
Those of us who recognize that our democracy is threatened have an overriding concern, and that is that people who are disgusted, disillusioned, or overwhelmed by all the intentional chaos and confusion being caused by these actions will opt out of voting. It is reported that a lot of people are distrustful of all politicians and political parties, saying that they’re all the same, the system is corrupt, or their vote doesn’t mean anything, anyway.
These are certainly not new sentiments, but the level of distrust may be at a new high, and that is the biggest threat to any hope of holding the line against the forces supporting authoritarianism. For that reason, there are massive efforts throughout the country to encourage people to make the effort to vote and to have a voting plan.
Nationwide rallies on Saturday, Oct. 17 organized by the No Kings coalition of over 250 organizations will be non-partisan, focused on raising awareness, and beating the drums to encourage registration and voting. While most people must be aware midterms are coming up, many may not be familiar with their voting options or recognize how important this election is. No Kings Vote Early events will be happening in Ely, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. in Whiteside Park; Cook, 1 - 3 p.m. in Cook City Park; Two Harbors, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. (register for exact location); and several in Duluth.
Midterm elections historically have a lower turnout than presidential elections, but frequently, when voters are unhappy with the current administration, Congress, or state and local officials, they will turn out in greater numbers to flip seats to their party. The primary elections this year had a record turnout with a surge of more people voting in the Democratic primaries in many states, including Texas and other battleground states.
According to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office, more than 1,103,000 Minnesotans cast ballots on August 11, about 25-percent of eligible voters in Minnesota. This is the first time more than a million votes have been cast in a primary, topping the previous high of 925,554 set in 2018.
People of all persuasions are angry about deteriorating conditions in our country that have clearly been caused by actions taken by the Republican administration and Congress, such as tariffs and the assault on Iran, so Democratic hopes are high for a similarly high turnout of disenchanted voters during the midterms.
The October rallies are also encouraging everyone to have a voting plan and vote early. When I first heard the suggestion to have a voting plan, I thought it was silly, but I came to understand that it’s wise to think ahead about how you will vote. Is there a chance you might be out of town on Election Day for a planned or unplanned reason? Will you be working, and if so, will you be able to get away to vote? If there is any uncertainly that you will be able to vote in your precinct on Election Day, then voting early in person or with a mail-in ballot ensures you won’t miss out on voting. With all of Trump’s huffing and puffing, attempts to disqualify mail-in voting, and exhorting people at the RNC midterms convention to vote Republican and “cheat like hell” if needed, there are concerns that he’ll do whatever he can to disrupt voting at the polls, so voting early will insure your vote has been cast.
In spite of the virulent and persistent accusations of the MAGA folks about fraudulent voting in the U.S. and mismanagement of mailed ballots, there has actually been almost no fraud or mishandling and nothing of statistical significance regarding affecting an election. Yet they keep repeating their lies as a basis for pushing stricter ID requirements for voters and demanding states turn over their voter registration lists, which include social security and drivers license information. The Supreme Court approved that states can use U.S. department of Homeland Security’s SAVE program to maintain voter registration lists, which is not its purpose. The administrative repetitive chants say it’s for “safe and clean elections,” while it’s clear the actions target people of color, immigrant citizens, and others who are considered likely to vote for Democrats in an attempt to keep them from voting. Suggesting that FBI agents will be at polling places is another perverse attempt to scare people away.
Minnesotans can rest easier regarding SAVE (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements.) Secretary of State Simon said, “Minnesota has never used the SAVE Program for voter verification, we’re not permitted in state law to do so. Reports have shown the SAVE Program to be deeply flawed when it comes to transparency, accuracy, and data security. Minnesotans should rest easy knowing that their right to vote won’t be impeded by this faulty project.”
There are two additional important reasons to vote this election. The first is a Minnesota Constitutional amendment, which will bring more money into our schools without raising your taxes: Vote “yes” to increase the funding going to all school districts from the permanent school fund, which is a fund that supports school districts without raising individual income or property taxes, effective in 2027. Failure to vote for a proposed constitutional amendment will have the same effect as voting “no,” so please vote “yes.”
For those voters in School District 696, a referendum is on the ballot to increase the revenue authorization from $347.99 to $1,775 per pupil. If passed, this will increase your property taxes.
For more information on elections and voting go to: www.mnvotes.org. At this site, you can find your polling place, where to vote early and hours for early voting. You can even track your ballot once you have mailed it in to see that it has been received and counted. 1-877-600-VOTE (8683)
Some specifics questions:
• To register to vote: Minnesota Voter Registration Application, opens PDF document
• To apply for an absentee mail-in ballot: 2026_Absentee_Ballot_Application.pdf
• If you’d like to be an election judge: 2026_Election_Judge_Interest_Packet.pdf
• Election information is also available through your county:
• St. Louis County: https://www.stlouiscountymn.gov/departments-a-z/auditor/elections-voting 218-726-2385
• Lake County: https://lakecountymn.gov/auditor/2026-elections/. 218-834-8315.
