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Several challenges filed with the Minnesota DFL are seeking to
nullify State Sen. Omar Fateh�s party endorsement for Minneapolis
mayor, claiming irregularities with the voting process.

Per the rules of the Minneapolis DFL Convention, a 60% majority of
delegates is required to secure an endorsement. Before Saturday, no
mayoral candidate had gained the DFL endorsement in Minneapolis
since R.T. Rybak in 2009.

Incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey and former Minnesota DFL Chair Mike
Erlandson were among those filing challenges on Monday surrounding
the procedures used to calculate delegates� votes.

In their challenges, the Frey campaign and Erlandson each raised
concerns about a new electronic voting system, claiming it was
unreliable and undercounted votes on the mayoral ballot. Despite
more than 750 delegates and upgraded alternates checked in for the
first ballot, they say only 578 votes were counted.

�There is no plausible reason why over 20% of the total
delegates/upgraded alternates would skip voting on the most hotly
contested, highest-interest business of the convention,� the Frey
campaign wrote.

Erlandson also claimed Minneapolis DFL leadership never confirmed a
quorum before the final ballot that secured Fateh�s endorsement.

The Frey campaign made no mention of quorum in its complaint but
did confirm to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS it had encouraged supporters to
leave Target Center prior to the final show-of-hands vote because
of disillusionment with how the convention was conducted. Frey�s
challenge centers on a range of voting issues that they say
occurred during the convention.

In a statement, Minneapolis DFL Chair John Maraist pushed back on
complaints about issues with the electronic balloting system and
overall transparency.

A �medical emergency with a technical consultant� was to blame for
a lengthy delay in counting the first ballot, Maraist said. From
there, party leaders briefed delegates on the situation, and a
decision was made to switch to a show-of-hands vote for mayor and
Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board district endorsements and to
collect paper ballots for at-large Park Board candidates.

�478 paper ballots were cast in the last ballot, which is
comfortably above quorum,� Maraist said.

Erlandson and Frey are each asking the DFL to throw out all
endorsements for mayor and for Minneapolis Park and Recreation
Board candidates.

�This was the most unfair and procedurally flawed process I have
witnessed in my 43 years of attending DFL conventions,� Erlandson
wrote. �It is shameful the chair allowed this to happen and pushed
forward with these invalid endorsements. We can and must do better
as a party.�

A state DFL spokesperson declined to comment on the convention
because the party will have to adjudicate the challenges it has
received.

https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/challenges-to-minneapolis-dfl- convention-claim-flawed-voting-process-lack-of-quorum/

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