Friends and neighbors,

Poll workers / election judges:

Transparency has always been a fundamental value of our elections, and our election judges play a key role in ensuring our elections are transparent, honest, and open.

Election judges are trained to handle all aspects of voting at the polling place for the primary and general elections. They cannot tell you who to vote for, but they are available to help you with any other aspect in the voting process such as checking in voters and handing out the ballots. Election judges also stand guard over the polling location and ballot box.

I can personally attest that this position is truly one of the best examples of bipartisanship, as I served as an election judge for more than 11 years. Minnesota law states that there should be an equal number of Republican and Democrat election judges at each polling place, which serves as an important check and balance to ensure a fair election. And in the polling place, regardless of party, we share a common goal of serving Minnesotans.

I am calling for strong Republicans and strong Democrats to volunteer as election judges. This is a great service to our state and offers the opportunity to learn about elections firsthand.  I would encourage anyone who is interested in participating to reach out to me with any questions.

Election judges are eligible for an hourly wage and milage reimbursement. You can also learn more about being an election judge at the Minnesota DFL’s information page, dfl.org/be-an-election-judge, or the Minnesota GOP’s information page, mngop.com/election-protection. 

Surplus:

Recently, Governor Tim Walz proposed using part of the state budget surplus for ‘Walz Checks,’ which would send out checks of up to $350 to Minnesotans who make $164,400 or less.

Minnesota’s state budget is projected to have a $7.7 billion surplus for the fiscal 2022-23 biennium with an additional $1.15 billion in federal funds. This surplus was a result of higher than anticipated increase in tax collections, including a 10% increase in individual income tax collections. 

As the purpose of government should not just be to hand out checks, I hold serious concerns on the governor’s proposal. Instead, we should work to provide additional tax relief that provides long-term support for employees, employers, and families. It’s critical to get government spending back under control and keep more hard-earned money in the pockets of Minnesotans.

Furthermore, I believe our state surplus could also be better spent to eliminate Minnesota’s Social Security income tax than a one-time check. Minnesota is one of only 12 states that continue to tax Social Security income. Senate Republicans and I have been working to phase out taxes on Social Security for years. Seniors should not be taxed twice on their Social Security income, and it is long overdue to fully eliminate this tax in a strategic, phased manner. In addition, an across-the-board board tax cut for the lowest income earners is additional money in your family’s checkbook, which is much better than a smaller one-time check. 

Contact me

As always, if you are interested in learning more about becoming an election judge, or if have questions or concerns any legislative topic, feel free to contact me any time. You can call me at 651-296-5655 or send me an email at sen.mary.kiffmeyer@senate.mn. It is a privilege to serve as your state senator.

Sincerely,

Mary