Young, minority voters turned out to defeat amendments

Early reports from election judges, pollsters and others on the front lines suggest that young people and people of color turned out in strong numbers in 2012 – as much as they did in 2008, when they enthusiastically embraced the first campaign of Barack Obama, the Pioneer Press reports. Those groups helped defeat two controversial constitutional amendments on the Minnesota ballot.

Author:
BMTN Staff
Updated:
Mar 8, 2018
Original:
Nov 8, 2012

Early reports from election judges, pollsters and elections observers suggest that young people and people of color turned out in strong numbers in 2012 – as much as they did in 2008, when they enthusiastically embraced the first campaign of Barack Obama, the Pioneer Press reports. Those groups also likely helped defeat two controversial constitutional amendments on the Minnesota ballot.

Younger and minority voters – typically under-represented among voters – helped propel President Obama to an 8-point win in Minnesota.

How'd we vote? The Star Tribune has county-by-county maps that break down the presidential, U.S. Senate and amendment votes.

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In a shocking upset, the voter ID amendment has failed, and by a sizable margin. With 98 percent of precincts reporting, the "no" votes led by nearly 8 percentage points, MPR says. The measure would have amended the state constitution to require voters to bring photo IDs to the polls.

Proposals for a constitutional amendment requiring photo IDs at polls are just a step away from reaching the House and Senate floors, MinnPost reports. Constitutional amendments, if approved by the Legislature, go straight to voters. They do not require Gov. Dayton's signature, so he cannot veto them.

Black voters in Minnesota are the latest audience sought by opponents and supporters of marriage amendment, the Star Tribune reports. The president of the national NAACP was in the state Monday to urge black voters to reject the ballot measure that would ban gay marriage. Church leaders are divided.

A group of Republican senators have introduced a bill that would have voters decide a controversial election reform measure this fall. Introducing a voter ID requirement as an amendment to the state constitution means the measure would bypass a threatened veto from Democratic Gov. Dayton.

Groups that are challenging the proposed Constitutional amendment that would require an ID to vote filed paperwork with the Minnesota Supreme Court in advance of the hearing later this month. They say if the court approves the ballot question as is, it will send the message that the Legislature is free to mislead or deceive voters.

Estimates of how much it will cost to implement a voter ID requirement at Minnesota polling places range from a few million dollars to $100 million. The cost is among many details that state lawmakers will need to fill in if residents approve a Constitutional amendment requiring a government-issued ID to vote.

The Minnesota Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday afternoon in a lawsuit aimed at keeping the voter ID constitutional amendment off of the statewide ballot. The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, League of Women Voters Minnesota and other anti-amendment groups are asking the court to strike down the ballot question. They claim its wording is too vague and misleading.

Two new Minnesota Polls by the Star Tribune find a statistical dead head in the constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, but a slight edge for support of a constitutional change that would require voters to show a government-issued photo ID.

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