BY ALEX BERTSCH alexander.bertsch@go.mnstate.edu

On Thursday, October 29, Minnesota Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith met with MSUM students on the Campus Mall to get out the vote supporting Joe Bident and Kamala Harris, and Democrats up and down the ballot.

“The pandemic and the state of the economy has had such a negative effect on young people,” Klobuchar said. “That’s why it’s really important to have a president that’s going to be able to manage us through this.”

The senators were joined at the event by Moorhead Mayor Johnathan Judd, and former North Dakota Senator Heidi Heitkamp. The politicians made it clear that winning the election in Minnesota was important for Biden’s chances at Presidency and that students’ votes would be key to that victory.

“What’s so exciting to me is that in Minnesota and all over the country, we are seeing a surge in young voters,” Smith said. “Those voices, your voices, are so important, and they will make such a huge difference in this election.”

MSUM student Jess Mueller spoke to the senators about her efforts to get students to vote, whether that be through early voting, mail-in voting, or at the polls on November 3.

“I’ve been pestering them as much as I can,” Mueller said. “I think [turnout] will be good. I’ve gotten a lot of messages asking me where to vote on campus, and I feel that people are really excited.”

Mayor Jude also took the opportunity to remind the students that in-person voting in Moorhead would be conducted safely, and he encouraged them to spread the word.

“It is safe to vote,” Judd said. “Election judges have been trained. They know what’s going on. So don’t be afraid to show up on election day.”

The senators also reminded students that politics doesn’t end with voting and that after the election there would still be work to do.

“Elections are not the end, elections are the means to the end,” Smith said. “That’s what this is about. Coming together about what we care about and what matters in our lives, and moving that forward after the election is over.”

VOTING UPDATE

Following a decision by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, any mail-in ballots that are received after the polls close on November 3rd will not be accepted.

In a tweet, Senator Klobuchar advised Minnesotans who have not yet voted to either make a plan to vote in-person, or to bring their mail-in ballot to their local ballot box.

In an email to MSUM students, Jess Mueller advised Moorhead Residents to drop off their ballots at the Clay County Courthouse by 3 p.m. on November 3. Mueller also wrote that students who are not Moorhead residents should contact their local election officials to find where they can submit their ballot.