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Senate panel advances constitutional amendment to enshrine "free, fair and equal" elections after contentious amendment votes
Summary
The Senate Elections Committee advanced a constitutional amendment bill to enshrine free, fair and equal elections in the Minnesota Constitution (Senate File 529). Multiple floor amendments were proposed and defeated by roll call; the committee voted 6–5 to pass and refer the bill to Rules and Administration.
The Minnesota Senate Elections Committee voted Feb. 6, 2025, to advance Senate File 529, a proposed constitutional amendment that would add a guarantee of "free, fair and equal" elections and bar civil or military interference with the right to vote. The committee's action sends the measure to the Committee on Rules and Administration by a roll‑call vote of 6–5.
Senator John Dibble (bill sponsor) opened the discussion by saying the amendment is intended to enshrine voting as a fundamental right and to provide an additional constitutional guard against laws or practices that suppress access to the franchise. "We understand very clearly that for every person, they are entitled to one vote," Dibble told the committee, and he cited other states that have used similar language.
Testimony supporting the amendment came from…
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