Minnesota’s local elections on Nov. 7 proved to be typical for an odd year, but they weren’t without some tension. St. Paul Ward 1 was a relatively close race. However, no recounts were performed, and there were no completely unforeseen upsets.

Sophomore Desmond Rubenstein followed St. Paul Ward 1’s city council race for his Government and Citizenship class. Rubenstein predicted that Annika Bowie would win the ward’s seat, which she did. Bowie was part of a unique outcome from these races: St. Paul’s first all-female city council.

Even though she will be a new addition to the council, a group that is also all under 40 years old, Rubenstein doesn’t believe her election will significantly change the situation in the ward.

“The council member that is currently the incumbent is [a] Democrat, and so is Annika Bowie,” Rubenstein said.

There were a few close city council races in Minneapolis Wards 6, 7, and 8 which needed to go to voters’ second choices in the ranked choice vote. Five cities in Minnesota, including Minneapolis and St. Paul, use ranked-choice voting.

In odd years like 2023, only local positions are up for election. These positions can include the mayorship, city council representatives, and school board representatives.

Questions are also sometimes posed to the voters, such as whether or not to increase sales tax—a question on the ballot in both St. Paul and Golden Valley. The measure passed in both cities.

In Minneapolis and St. Paul, voters participated in municipal elections which select local officials.

In St. Paul, voters also participated in school district elections, which select school board representatives.

Senior Eli Peres voted on Election Day, but had a hard time finding sufficient information on the candidates up for election in his area.
Even so, he emphasized the importance of voting.

“It has felt very hard,” Peres said. “But that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t at least try.”

Senior Lucy Shaffer was not eligible to vote on Election Day, but like Rubenstein, she followed a City Council race for her Government class: Minneapolis Ward 10. Learning about the ins and outs of local policy has helped Shaffer realize the importance of staying up-to-date, even if she can’t vote.

“It’s quite the skill to be able to manage following elections,” Shaffer said. “What the people who are running vote for and what they stand for will shape the neighborhood and where the money goes in that neighborhood.”

A full list of the election results can be found on the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website.

Newly elected officials will take office on Jan. 3.