Today (April 9), Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie joined members of the Gustavus community for pizza and conversation. He immediately had two pieces of important information for Gusties:
1. Think about November elections now! If you are going to be abroad or unable to vote at your polling place on November 2, it is not too early to start planning for absentee voting now. More information can be found on their website at www.sos.state.mn.us.
2. Be an election judge! Approximately 30,000 election judges are needed to staff more than 4,100 polling locations in Minnesota. This is a great opportunity to be a central part of the election process and to live out your civic engagement. (It is also a paid position!) Again, check out the website for more info.
SOS Mark Ritchie’s background is in bio-chemistry and bio-physics and he has a passionate interest in hunger issues. Because of this passion, he became very interested in public policy and realized that these policies make a big difference in the lives of the people of Minnesota. It is also people who make the policies which brought SOS Ritchie around to becoming interested in how the people who make those policies become elected.
SOS Ritchie was elected to his office in November 2006. He continues to work on ways to engage citizens in civic education and how to be well-informed voters, and works with Minnesota businesses and organizations.
The way that he defines patriotic stems from two stories, one from a woman who is a member of the Red Lake Indian Reservation and another from a Chamber of Commerce member from the Duluth area. Both stories helped him understand that being patriotic is “when you love something, you take care it.” Both of these stories come from a part of the state in which voter turnout is typically over 90%. The average for Minnesota is 78% – which is higher than the national average.
So, Gusties, do your part! Be patriotic! Be informed, be involved, and make a difference!