Our

Vote Our Future For Immediate Release Contact: Eric Fought, 612-223-4744, eric@ourvoteourfuture.org

Seniors, troops and rural voters among those who may be voting by mail for the last time if poorly written Voter Restriction Amendment passes ST. PAUL (September 21, 2012) With 46 days remaining before Election Day, Minnesotans have officially begun voting by absentee ballot throughout the state. While some will vote in person, many will vote by mail-in ballot, a process which will likely end if the Voter Restriction Amendment passes. Our Vote Our Future, the statewide campaign to defeat the Voter Restriction Amendment issued the following statement from Campaign Manager Luchelle Stevens: The Voter Restriction Amendment, if passed, would place significant hurdles before eligible voters who vote absentee. This is especially true for Minnesotans fighting for our freedoms overseas and seniors living in nursing homes. Each day, more and more Minnesotans are learning about the costs and consequences of this poorly written amendment. As voters begin absentee voting by mail in all corners of the state, critical questions are being raised as to how radically our elections system will be overhauled. These voters believe the legislature got this wrong and want to send it back to them. Every eligible voter should count in every election and all of us should be encouraging full participation in Minnesotas election system. Mail-in balloting assists those who cant make it to the polls on Election Day. This amendment will place too many hurdles in front of eligible voters and that is why Minnesotans will vote no on November 6. Thousands of seniors living in nursing homes and troops protecting our freedoms overseas vote absentee by mail. Should the Voter Restriction Amendment pass, it is unclear how mail-in voting of any sort would continue. Over 250,000 Minnesotans vote by mail or absentee, including:i 195,000 domestic absentee voters who submitted their ballot by mail 45,000 registered voters in townships that are vote-by-mail over 11,500 military and other overseas votersii ### Our Vote Our Future is the statewide multi-partisan campaign to defeat the voter restriction amendment that will appear on Minnesotas November 6, 2012 general election ballot. For more information, please visit www.OurVoteOurFuture.org or follow @OurVoteMN

Critical Questions Remain as Absentee Voting Begins in Minnesota


i Secretary of States analysis from the Consolidated Fiscal Note for HF 2738. http://www.mmb.state.mn.us/bis/fnts_leg/2011-

12/H2738_1E.pdf ii Secretary of States analysis from the Consolidated Fiscal Note for HF 2738. http://www.mmb.state.mn.us/bis/fnts_leg/2011-12/H2738_1E.pdf