The Minnesota town election will be held March 10. Here’s what you need to know to vote

On the second Tuesday of March each year, voters gather in Minnesota towns for elections and their annual meeting. This year’s municipal elections are scheduled to take place on March 10.

Town Days are a unique local election in which voters serve two purposes: electing their town council and determining the future of their town through its annual meeting.

“It’s a very voter-focused form of government,” said Graham Berg-Moberg, in-house counsel for the Minnesota Association of Townships. “If you like direct democracy, townships are your thing.”

Towns are essentially the most popular form of local government in the United States. Voters have a direct say in local affairs such as setting a tax on the amount they pay in taxes; New building developments such as modernization of the city hall or park; Road maintenance and improvements; Electing people to serve on the town council.

“The important element is that they can vote on how much they tax, which doesn’t really happen outside of this form of government,” Berg-Moberg said. “It’s not just that. There’s a whole list of powers that Minnesota law provides to voters at this meeting that don’t exist anywhere else in government.”

What is the town? Where are they in Minnesota?

16% of Minnesota’s population lives in towns, which is just under 1 million people. There are about 1,700 towns across the state, most of which have a population of less than 500 people.

Town grids are 6 miles by 6 miles long and were initially invented by Thomas Jefferson 240 years ago. All it takes is 25 voters, and the area can petition to become a town. Now, towns still exist in some areas of the country as a form of local government.

In Minnesota, most towns can be found across the southern, southeastern, and western regions of the state. Northern Minnesota has fewer towns since most of the area is unincorporated. There are also fewer towns around the Twin Cities where cities are the primary form of local government.

There are only two counties in Minnesota, Hennepin and Couchiching counties, that do not have towns.

One of the most practical matters for which towns are responsible is road maintenance. They oversee a total of 55,000 miles of roads in the state, the most of any governmental unit in Minnesota.

The town’s leadership framework is legislative. They have a board of directors consisting of three supervisors, an elected clerk, and an elected treasurer. There are no CEOs like the mayor.

What happens if no one runs in township races? Could there be additional writings?

Town elections often face two possibilities: an uncontested race — meaning there is only one candidate — or no one running.

If there are no candidates, voters can write in the name of the person they want to serve, or the board has the authority to appoint someone.

“We tend to recommend that people do that, because of course you don’t want to end up in a situation where there aren’t enough people to make a quorum, which sometimes happens,” Berg-Moberg said.

While some aspects of town government are written into state statutes, most of these details can be modified to fit the specific needs of the town, including condensing roles on the council or changing future election dates.

Who can vote and participate in town meetings?

The requirements are the same as any election: You must be 18 years old, a US citizen and a resident of the town in which you will be voting. These requirements also apply to the annual meeting.

Where can I find town election information?

Since town elections are very local elections, most information can be found on site at town halls. For example, the city finance report is often posted on the door of city hall 30 minutes before the annual meeting begins. This analog approach makes things straightforward and efficient, Berg-Moberg said.

With voters and elected officials on hand to make decisions on the spot, things move relatively quickly, making changes across society simpler, Berg-Moberg said.