Bloomington Residents File Lawsuit Against City for Failing to Allow Ranked Choice Voting Repeal Ballot Measure

Bloomington, MN – Three residents of Bloomington, Minnesota filed a lawsuit on Thursday, August 18, 2022, challenging the City of Bloomington’s failure to place a proposed charter amendment to repeal Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) on the November 2022 ballot. The Upper Midwest Law Center is teaming up with attorney Greg Joseph to represent the three petitioners in the case.

The Bloomington City Council refused to place the measure on the ballot because of its objections to a portion of the proposed amendment related to how the amendment could be later canceled by voters. The City did not object to the rest of the amendment, which would repeal RCV, but decided to keep the rest off the ballot anyway.

The lawsuit marks the second time in the last 6 years that the City of Bloomington has refused to place a citizen-led proposed charter amendment on the City’s general election ballot. The first time, a lawsuit was filed, Jennissen v. City of Bloomington, resulting in a Minnesota Supreme Court decision instructing the City to place the citizen-led amendment on the ballot. That charter amendment then passed by a 54-46 vote.

Attorney Greg Joseph said: “For the second time in the last 6 years, the City of Bloomington has come up with a flimsy excuse to keep a citizen-led proposed charter amendment off the City’s general election ballot. The people stood up to the City and won before, and they will win again. Our clients look forward to having the opportunity to choose whether the failed Ranked Choice Voting experiment should be tossed out of the City Charter.”

UMLC Senior Trial Counsel James Dickey said: “Probably the worst part of Bloomington’s actions here is that they only objected to one secondary part of the proposed charter amendment, which is unrelated to the meat of the amendment. They didn’t object to anything else, yet they tossed out the whole thing. We believe the courts should and will correct this government overreach.”

A hearing is set for Tuesday, August 22nd, as the City and Hennepin County are slated to certify the November ballot to the Secretary of State next Friday, August 26, 2022.

###

Upper Midwest Law Center Office Subject to Suspected Arson Attack

On Sunday, January 28, the office of the Upper Midwest Law Center was destroyed in what is being investigated as a deliberate act of arson. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating alongside the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and state and local authorities. Thankfully, no one on the UMLC staff was hurt or present at the time of the crime.

UMLC Joins Legal Battle Against Race and Sex Discrimination in Minnesota Farming Grants

Jan 24, 2024

Today, the Upper Midwest Law Center and the Pacific Legal Foundation filed the lawsuit Lance Nistler v. Tim Walz, et al., a groundbreaking case challenging race and sex-based discrimination in Minnesota's farming grant program.

Minnesota Supreme Court Grants Accelerated Review of Felon Voting Law Challenge

The Minnesota Supreme Court granted accelerated review of the Upper Midwest Law Center’s challenge to the 2023 Felon Voting Law. This decision marks a crucial step forward in UMLC's pursuit of election integrity. The organization remains committed to upholding the principles enshrined in the state's constitution and ensuring a fair and transparent electoral process.

News

Bloomington Residents File Lawsuit Against City for Failing to Allow Ranked Choice Voting Repeal Ballot Measure