Housing. Public safety. Transportation.
These are just a few of the issues Minneapolis voters will influence this fall as we elect our next City Council. How can you be sure you’re voting for someone who aligns with your values?
We're here to help you vote with confidence.
This guide was created by:
We’ve also partnered with North News, KRSM, MinnPost, Southwest Voices, SPEAK MPLS and Sahan Journal to bring you a curation of reputable voter guides and election coverage. We’ll update it regularly until Election Day, Nov. 7.
On the Ballot
This year in Minneapolis, the only ballot item is the City Council election. All 13 ward-based seats are up for election.
Normally, City Council members serve four-year terms. However, this year we’re only electing them to two-year terms, like we did in 2021. This is because of a 2010 state law that requires Minneapolis to hold City Council elections soon after redistricting ward boundaries, which happens every 10 years based on census data. The law only applies to City Council, so there are no other races this year.
We use ranked choice voting for municipal elections in Minneapolis. Rather than selecting one candidate on your ballot, you’ll rank up to three candidates in the order that you want to see them take office. You can use our scorecard to help you determine that ranking.
To see which candidates are running in your ward, you can use our map below. There is also a sample ballot available on the Minnesota Secretary of State website.
Understanding the Job Description
To make an informed choice, you’ll need a basic understanding of what duties and powers City Council members have.
Here are the main categories of a City Council member’s job:
Constituent services, advocacy and partnerships
- Connects constituents to city services and ensures the mayor and city staff are responsive to residents’ needs.
- Advocates for constituents’ interests both at the city level and at other levels of government.
- Serves on a variety of intergovernmental task forces and work groups to coordinate with other governmental partners on meeting residents’ needs.
Policymaking
- Proposes and approves ordinances and policies
City Budget
- Adopts the city budget, which sets the tax levy (within the limits set by the Board of Estimate and Taxation) and allocates city funds to city departments and programs. The budget is proposed by the Mayor, but is subject to amendment and final approval by the council.
Executive Branch Oversight
- Appoints council members to the Audit Committee, which oversees the City Auditor and ensures city departments are operating as effective stewards of city resources.
- Approves high-level city staff positions.
Actions of the council, with limited exceptions, are subject to approval or veto by the mayor. The council may override a veto by a vote of ⅔ of the full membership (nine votes).
Researching the candidates
To determine whether a candidate aligns with your values, you’ll need to do a bit of research. We know this can be overwhelming, so we are providing this scorecard, which was designed by our friends at Detroit Documenters. You can fill it out according to whatever issues and leadership qualities matter most to you. Issues under City Council’s influence include: public safety, transportation, housing, environment, public health and taxes. Examples of leadership qualities include constituent responsiveness and collaboration skills.
We recommend using multiple sources to research a candidate’s stances on issues and evaluate them as a leader.
For incumbent and new candidates, you can:
- Review the candidates’ websites and social media to see how they pitch themselves. (Remember to get additional perspectives!)
- Read, watch or listen to local news coverage. Many news organizations publish voter guides and questionnaires with candidate responses (see below!).
- Watch or participate in candidate forums held by local organizations, like ones hosted by the League of Women Voters.
- Contact the candidates directly with your questions
For incumbents, these additional methods apply:
- Watch a City Council meeting online or in-person. This allows you to observe how they work with others.
View upcoming City Council meeting information
Watch video recordings of past meetings - Review their voting record. How does it compare with their promises to voters? How does it square with your own values?
City Council voting record database
Documenter Josh Martin’s personal database of divided votes
Check out the links below for local reporting that can help inform your vote. We’ll update this page regularly with coverage from North News, KRSM, MinnPost and Sahan Journal.
Don’t forget to make a plan to vote. Visit our Voting FAQ to learn more about voting by mail or in-person, early or on Election Day.
Resources
Minneapolis Documenters
Minneapolis Documenters trains and pays community members to take notes at local government meetings.
Our notes on City Council meetings from 2022 and 2023
From our partners
Voter Guides
Interviews and Profiles
More Reporting
Thank you to our partners!
Are you reading this from a local newsroom? Let us know if you’d like to join this collaboration and have your work featured here: documenterspuc@gmail.com
Writing by Jackie Renzetti and Josh Martin
Translation by Jovita Morales
Web design by Becca Tripp
Voting FAQ by ShaVunda Brown
and Monica Msechu
Art by Joy Spika
We thank Detroit Documenters, who inspired us with their voter guide that prioritizes how to research and vote with confidence. We also drew inspiration from the Every Voice, Every Vote collaborative media project led by the Lenfest Institute for Journalism in Philadelphia.