Get Election Ready

It should surprise no one that we had record turnout for party caucuses in Minnesota earlier this month. Minneapolis, St. Paul and all of Minnesota were still experiencing the peak surge of government agents roaming our cites and towns.

Nothing stirs democratic passions like getting a practical lesson in our Constitutional rights. I bet more people know their 1st, 4th, 5th, 10th, and 14th amendments better than they did 3 months ago. I know many people were surprised to see even their 2nd amendment rights get side eye from the government.

To be clear, we here at The Woven Record are big fans of the Constitution. All of it.

This is your government, and you are paying for these people to treat you and your neighbors this way. The good news is there's a big job interview going on right now - it's an election campaign for local, state, and Congressional offices. You get to decide who should run, and who we should hire, but you have to be prepared.

To help you get prepared, we're going to run a series of "how-to" videos and articles on how to Get Election Ready. This is the introduction video, and we'll follow up with specific topics and timelines that you need to be aware of. And with the new SAVE act still being voted on in Congress, you'll need to make sure you have the documentation required to register and vote. If this law passes, it's going to put a burden on governments to get your documents on time, and if you're a person who does not have the same name as is on your birth certificate, you're going to have even more work to do. That includes an awful lot of women who changed their name when they got married.

It's your government, and you can help shape it with your participation even before the general election.

The SAVE Act:

• The bill not only requires proof of citizenship, but also proof of residence in order to register. This could block even more Americans from voting. Roughly 9 percent of the population has moved within a state in the past year, but many will not update their driver’s licenses until they expire.
• The bill would require photo ID to vote, providing a narrow list of acceptable IDs more restrictive than the voter ID laws in every state but Ohio. For example, the bill prohibits the use of student IDs (even those issued by state universities), and accepts tribal IDs only with an expiration date, even though many tribal IDs do not contain them.
• The legislation would mandate voter roll purges every 30 days, placing enormous burdens on election officials and ending the 90-day quiet period that protects voters from being mistakenly thrown off the rolls right before Election Day.
• The bill would prohibit universal mail voting, requiring all mail voters to submit an application in order to receive a mail ballot. This would end the longstanding principal method of voting in eight states and Washington, DC.

Brennan Center for Justice February 2026

Beyond voting, discover lesser-known ways to participate in democracy, including the poll observer (or 'poll challenger') role that allows you to monitor election integrity at polling places. Becki shares her personal experience as a poll challenger and explains how election officials work to ensure voting is above board with representation from both parties. The video covers essential pre-election planning, including voter registration verification, arranging transportation if you're housebound or without a vehicle, and understanding key dates for signing up for observer roles or other opportunities.

This video emphasizes that elections work as well as citizens make them work -- it's not just about voting on election day, but about getting involved in the infrastructure that makes democracy possible. You'll learn about important resources like Vote.org and the Minnesota Secretary of State's office that can help ensure you're registered, know your polling place, and have all the information needed to participate fully in the electoral process.

Subscribe to the Woven Record or our YouTube Podcast to keep up with the Get Election Ready series so you aren't disappointed on election day.

Election and Voting Resources:

Vote.org
Minnesota Secretary of State Election Administration
Blue Earth County Election Information
Nicollet County Election Information
Le Suer County Election Information
Become a candidate in Minnesota