A new voting system for St. Paul voters in 2011

In 2009 St. Paul voters approved a new voting system for City Council and Mayoral Elections.  This new system, generally referred to as Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) or Instant Runoff Voting (IRV), will be used for the first time in our elections in 2011.

In St. Paul, our ordinance will refer to the new system as "Ranked Voting," as we believe that is the best, simplest description of the system.  Ranked Voting eliminates the need for a primary in City Council and Mayoral Elections (there will still be a primary for School Board Elections if there are enough candidates).  Instead, on election day in November, voters will be able to rank the candidates for City Council or Mayor in order of their preference.  In St. Paul, we have decided to allow up to six (6) rankings initially, with the goal of eventually allowing voters to rank as many candidates as they want.

Ranked (Choice) Voting is used in a number of cities throughout the United States, including Minneapolis, as well as all of Australia and parts of Great Britain.  Advantages of using this system in St. Paul include that historically for City Council primaries only about 5% of the electorate votes, whereas 15% participate in the general election.  As such, Ranked Voting will mean more voters participating in the deciding step in the election.  Further, I and others believe that this new system will encourage more good candidates to run for office, as fundraising and party endorsements will not be enough to ensure a spot in the "top two" as they have previously in our primary/run-off election system.  Finally, Ranked Voting will allow voters who prefer third party or independent candidates to vote their conscience while being assured that doing so is not, in effect, a vote for their least favorite candidate.

Light Rail Project Update 

2011 will be the heaviest year of construction on University Avenue in Ward 4.  You probably noticed the lane closures at University and Snelling recently as result of Xcel Energy needing to do some exploratory work in preparation for relocating utilities. In the very near future, most likely March, light rail construction will become much more visible on the Avenue.  Good information, and the opportunity to sign up for e-updates can be found at www.centralcorridor.org .

Many groups are working together to encourage people to continue to patronize University Avenue businesses during construction, including the University Avenue Betterment Association, the Midway Chamber of Commerce, and a business collaborative known as U7.  Soon, you will be able to utilize a loyalty-based promotion system involving a "Discover Central Corridor" swipe card.

Also, keep an eye out for events on the Avenue, and come out and support our University Avenue businesses during what figures to be a trying time for them.

West Midway Artists and Creative Industries 

Speaking of businesses, the West Midway area, which some are now calling "MidCity" is packed with artists, artisans, small manufacturers and nonprofits.  Many of these small businesspeople and entrepreneurs have enjoyed low-cost space in the area around University/Raymond for years.  Recent and planned investments in some of the older buildings in the area have started to increase the profile of the area, but also to displace some of these artists and small businesses.

A group of area community stakeholders has been meeting around the idea of a Creative Enterprise Zone in which affordable work spaces for artists, artisans, and small manufacturers can thrive in the same geographic space.  With   Efforts are underway to inventory the artists and businesses in the area as a first step toward finding buildings and cobbling together financing to help retain these important contributors to our local economy. 

The Chittenden and Eastman building has housed artists for years, and will soon be rehabbed into residential space.