City Council Meeting Date: July 22, 2025
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: Lynette Peterson, City Clerk
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Absentee Balloting and Election Services - 2026 Planning Discussion
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Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council will receive a presentation outlining the absentee balloting process and the associated costs. City staff will seek guidance from the Council regarding both the procedures and related expenses.
Summary Report:
Since 2016, the City of Northfield has served as a “remote” absentee voting site for Rice County, operating from City Hall under a contract with the County. In 2022, Northfield received $10,000 from Rice County for these services. Following a review of expenses, staff negotiated an increase to $20,000 for the 2024 election cycle.
To operate absentee balloting, the City hires temporary election staff. Costs for staffing during a primary and general election typically total around $30,000. This estimate reflects recent legislative changes impacting absentee site staffing requirements.
New in 2026, Minnesota law allows colleges to request an on-campus voting day. Cities must honor such requests. In 2024, Carleton College made this request, and voting was successfully conducted on campus for five hours. The City submitted a reimbursement request to the State grant program for associated expenses. Staff estimates the cost for conducting college voting days at both Carleton and St. Olaf to be $5,000.
In addition to staffing costs, the City incurs mileage expenses when delivering absentee ballots to Rice County offices in Faribault. Staff estimates this cost, including travel time and mileage, at $1,000. Northfield maintains a Joint Powers Agreement with Dakota County for absentee voting services for its one Dakota County precinct. Under this agreement, Dakota County provides a courier service for ballot transport.
Estimated Costs for 2026:
• With absentee voting at City Hall: $97,700 (includes absentee and election day voting for both the primary and general elections)
• Without absentee voting at City Hall: $61,700
This results in a potential savings of $36,000, though offset by the $20,000 Rice County reimbursement, for a net reduction of $16,000.
2024 General Election Data:
• City Hall processed 1,656 absentee ballot envelopes, with 76.45% from Northfield residents.
• City Hall also processed 3,154 direct balloting applications, with 75.11% from Northfield residents.
• In total, 5,320 Northfield resident ballots were submitted via absentee/direct balloting; 4,810 (or 90.41%) were processed at City Hall, with only 9.59% choosing to vote in Faribault.
If absentee voting is discontinued at City Hall, residents could still request absentee ballots via mail (in person or online). However, in-person early voting (including direct balloting) would only be available in Faribault.
Staff seeks Council input on the future of absentee balloting at City Hall. Some specific questions for consideration at the August 15th Council Worksession meeting:
1. Does the Council support continuing absentee balloting at City Hall, or would it prefer to discontinue the service for a potential net budget reduction of $16,000?
(Note: Future cost arrangements with Rice County are unknown. Currently, Rice County does not charge the City of Faribault for similar services.)
2. If absentee balloting continues, does the Council support negotiating with Rice County for additional reimbursement beyond the current $20,000?
3. Election Judge Training: In 2024, Rice County held one training session in Northfield. For 2026, they plan to hold all training sessions in Faribault. Should the City request that Rice County offer a training session in Northfield, given that approximately 100 Northfield election judges need training? (Holding one training session in Northfield would save the City an estimated $2,000 in mileage costs for election judge travel.)
Again, staff is requesting only to get clarification of this information as an initial discussion at this meeting. These expenses are being reviewed for clarity by staff and also may be part of policy considerations for changes related to budget reductions to be reviewed at the August 15th Council Worksession.
Alternative Options:
N/A
Financial Impacts:
The cost of conducting absentee balloting at City Hall is estimated at approximately $36,000. The City receives $20,000 in reimbursement from Rice County for providing this service. Discontinuing absentee balloting at City Hall would result in a net savings of about $16,000; however, residents would need to travel to Faribault for in-person absentee voting or request a ballot by mail.
Tentative Timelines:
• July 22 - Council Questions and Clarifications
• August 15th - Council policy discussion and options related to budget reductions.
• August 19th - Council motion direction related to these related election decisions for 2026
Note: The City Council will need to decide by August 31 whether to continue offering absentee balloting at City Hall. This timeline allows City staff to notify the County in time for planning and preparation for the 2026 election cycle.