City Council Meeting Date: June 2, 2026
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: Lynette Peterson, City Clerk
TITLE
Consideration of Joint Powers Agreement Between Dakota County and the City of Northfield for the Conduct of the Post-Election Review
BODY
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council consider adopting a motion to approve the Joint Powers Agreement between the City of Northfield and Dakota County for administration of post-election review services following state general elections.
Summary Report:
Minnesota Statute 206.89 requires counties to conduct a post-election review (PER) following each state general election. The review consists of a public manual hand count of ballots from precincts selected by lot and must be completed within 14 days after the election.
Dakota County is proposing a countywide approach in which the County would administer the post-election review process on behalf of participating municipalities using county-appointed election judges. The purpose of the agreement is to provide consistent procedures, maintain required party balance among election judges, and improve administrative efficiency during the review process.
Under the agreement, Dakota County would hire, schedule, supervise, and compensate election judges conducting the post-election review. If a City precinct is selected for review, the City would be responsible only for the actual hourly election judge costs incurred by the County. Municipalities not selected for review would incur no costs. The County would also coordinate ballot handling and secure storage during the review process. Dakota County utilized this process during the 2024 election cycle and reported it to be both efficient and cost-effective.
The agreement is limited solely to post-election review activities and does not affect other election administration responsibilities of the City. The agreement term extends through December 31, 2027, with automatic two-year renewals unless terminated by either party with 90 days written notice.
Staff recommends approval of the Joint Powers Agreement with Dakota County for post-election review services.
Alternative Options:
The City could choose to appoint its own election judges to conduct the Post-Election Review at Dakota County; however, the County would still be required to train those judges, and the City could incur additional costs related to election judge hours and mileage reimbursement for travel to Dakota County.
Financial Impacts:
There is no cost to the City unless our Dakota County precinct (W3, P2) is selected for post-election review. If selected, the City would reimburse Dakota County only for the actual hourly wages paid to election judges conducting the review. With only one precinct in Dakota County, the estimated cost per election would be $200-$400.
Tentative Timelines:
This agreement covers the 2026 and 2027 elections. Currently, the City of Northfield has no elections scheduled for 2027 unless a special election is called.