City staff estimates moving municipal elections to even years could save about $2.5 million

City elections staff briefed the Minneapolis Charter Commission on potential cost implications of moving municipal elections from odd to even years. Casey Carl, the city clerk, said municipal-election supplemental costs (separate from the office's base budget for staff and equipment) are about $2,500,000 for a municipal cycle, and moving to an even-numbered cycle could realize similar savings by consolidating election administration.

Carl cautioned that the city's election-budget structure includes a base budget that covers personnel, equipment and facilities year-to-year and a supplemental election allocation that fluctuates by election. He said transition costs would include voter notification, reallocation of polling places and staffing changes. He also noted an operational concern: recruiting and retaining seasonal election workers and judges if elections do not occur annually, which can affect a large city's ability to staff precincts and early-voting operations.

Commissioners asked for follow-up detail on what share of four-year election-cycle spending the $2.5 million represents and what transition costs would look like. Carl said he did not have that breakdown on hand but would provide it to commissioners. The commission previously asked Guidehouse to add election-timing analysis to a supplemental report; staff and consultants agreed to follow up.

Next steps: Carl offered to provide a more detailed cost breakdown and the clerk's office will work with Guidehouse and the Government Structure Committee to model operational and staffing impacts if the commission pursues a calendar change.