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37-449: The state auditor is elected by the people on Election Day in November, and takes office on the first Monday of the next January. There is no limit to the number of terms a state auditor may hold. To be elected state auditor, a person must be qualified voter, permanently resident in the state of Minnesota at least 30 days prior to the election, and at least 21 years of age. In the event of

74-477: A 34-day period before the first Wednesday in December. A November election was convenient because the harvest would have been completed but the most severe winter weather, impeding transportation, would not yet have arrived, while the new election results also would roughly conform to a new year. Tuesday was chosen as Election Day so that voters could attend church on Sunday, travel to the polling location, usually in

111-908: A governor or a U.S. senator. Election Day (United States) Election Day in the United States is the annual day for general elections of federal , state and local public officials . With respect to federal elections, it is statutorily set by the U.S. government as "the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November" of even-numbered years (i.e., the Tuesday that occurs within November 2 to November 8). Federal offices ( president , vice president , and United States Congress ) and most governors (all except for Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Virginia) and state legislatures are elected in even-numbered years. Presidential elections are held in years divisible by four, in which electors for president and vice president are chosen according to

148-536: A holiday. In June 2020, the Governor of Illinois J. B. Pritzker signed legislation that established Election Day as a holiday. Democratic Representative John Conyers of Michigan proposed H.R. 63 – Democracy Day Act of 2005 for the Tuesday after the first Monday in November of every even-numbered year, to be a legal public holiday called Democracy Day. The purpose of the holiday was to increase voter turnout by giving citizens more time to vote, as well as to allow for

185-518: A single agency under the governor's supervision in order to provide comprehensive budgetary control and financial reporting oversight of all state spending. A 1973 state government reorganization saw LEAP's recommendations put into action, with the former accounting functions of the elected state auditor transferred to the Budget Bureau - which in turn became the Department of Finance. At the same time,

222-466: A specific racial/ethnic group or sexual minority , (week) = week-long holidays, (month) = month-long holidays, (36) = Title 36 Observances and Ceremonies Minnesota Department of Management and Budget The Minnesota Department of Management and Budget , otherwise abbreviated as MMB , is a cabinet-level state agency responsible for coordinating the financial management and personnel administration processes of state government. MMB serves as

259-443: A uniform date for presidential ( 3 U.S.C.   § 1 ) and congressional ( 2 U.S.C.   § 1 and 2 U.S.C.   § 7 ) elections, though early voting is nonetheless authorized in nearly every state, and states also have mail voting procedures. The fact that Election Day falls on a Tuesday has become controversial in recent decades, as many people might be unable to vote because they have to work. It

296-462: A uniform national date for choosing Presidential electors. Congress chose the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November to harmonize current electoral practice with the existing 34-day window in federal law, as the span between Election Day and the first Wednesday in December is always 29 days. The effect is to constrain Election Day to the week between November 2 and 8 inclusive. November 1

333-440: A vacancy in the office of the state auditor, the governor may appoint a successor to serve the balance of the term. The state auditor may also be recalled by the voters or removed from office through an impeachment trial . In Minnesota, the state auditor is charged with supervising and auditing the finances of the state's approximately 3,600 local governments , which altogether tax and spend over $ 40 billion annually. Likewise,

370-557: A variation of the nonpartisan blanket primary , only requires a further runoff to be held for those offices for which neither of the top two candidates receive an absolute majority of the vote. Currently, primaries for U.S. House and U.S. Senate elections in Louisiana are held on the federal Election Day, with runoffs in December if necessary. Starting in 2026, Louisiana will revert to closed party primaries in Congressional elections, with

407-500: Is a public holiday in some states, including Delaware , Hawaii , Illinois , Kentucky , Louisiana , Montana , New Jersey , New York , Virginia , West Virginia , as well as the territory of the Northern Mariana Islands and Puerto Rico . Some other states require that workers be permitted to take time off with pay. California requires that employees otherwise unable to vote must be allowed two hours off with pay, at

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444-706: Is allowed in 32 states and in D.C. In the 2008 presidential election , 30% of votes were early votes. All states have some kind of absentee ballot system. Unconditional absentee voting by mail is allowed in 27 states and D.C. and with an excuse in another 21 states. Unconditional permanent absentee voting is allowed in seven states and in D.C. In Colorado , Hawaii , Oregon , Utah and Washington , all major elections are by postal voting with ballot papers sent to voters several weeks before Election Day. In 29 states, postal votes must be received on or before Election Day. Other states have later deadlines, with California election law allowing mailed in ballots to arrive at

481-678: The county seat , on Monday, and vote before Wednesday, which was usually when farmers would sell their produce at the market. Originally, states varied considerably in the method of choosing electors . Gradually, states converged on selection by some form of popular vote. Development of the Morse electric telegraph , funded by Congress in 1843 and successfully tested in 1844, was a technological change that clearly augured an imminent future of instant communication nationwide. To prevent information from one state from influencing Presidential electoral outcomes in another, Congress responded in 1845 by mandating

518-587: The Department of the Public Examiner was abolished and its powers and duties in relation to the supervision and auditing of local government finances were transferred to the Office of the State Auditor. The Department of Finance's responsibilities expanded further following the abolition of the state treasurer's office in 2003 by constitutional amendment. Throughout Minnesota's history as a U.S. territory and state,

555-483: The Department of the Public Examiner, the elected state auditor took on the duty of supervising and auditing local government finances. At the same time, audits and evaluations of state agency financial management and performance were reassigned to a newly created office of legislative auditor, which is appointed by and reports to the Legislative Audit Commission. Aside from the statewide single audit, which

592-497: The Union on May 11, 1858, and lasted until a 1973 reorganization of state government. During the intervening years, the state auditor acted as the comptroller for the whole of state government. In that capacity, the state auditor prescribed and maintained the statewide accounting system, preaudited claims by and against the state, issued warrants on the state treasury in payment of claims approved, monitored county finances, and managed

629-479: The beginning or end of a shift. A federal holiday called Democracy Day, to coincide with Election Day, has been proposed, and some have proposed moving election day to the weekend. Other movements in the IT and automotive industries encourage employers to voluntarily give their employees paid time off on Election Day. By 1792, federal law permitted each state legislature to choose Presidential electors any time within

666-458: The comptroller and treasurer for the whole of state government, coordinating accounting, cash management, and debt management across all state agencies. MMB maintains and operates the statewide financial reporting system called SWIFT and uses this financial data, along with economic trends from the state economist, to prepare operating and capital budgets for the state. MMB also issues reports on Minnesota's economic health that are frequently cited by

703-630: The condition of local public finances . These reports inform the budgetary and fiscal policies of the governor and Legislature . Aside from his or her functional responsibilities, the state auditor is by virtue of office a member of the following public bodies: The state auditor's office has its origins in the Minnesota Territory , when the territorial governor appointed an auditor to ensure that both territorial and county finances were in good order and handled properly. This function continued with an elected state auditor upon Minnesota's entry into

740-458: The elected state treasurer had always been responsible for managing and accounting for the state's cash flows, coordinating banking services for state agencies, and issuing and servicing the state debt. With the repeal of the Office of the State Treasurer however, those responsibilities were transferred to the Department of Finance. The most recent change to MMB came in 2008, with the repeal of

777-478: The elections office up to 17 days after Election Day. Some states, like Texas, give overseas and military voters extra time to mail in their ballots. Louisiana, to date, is the only U.S. state to hold de facto general elections on a Saturday. The state's statewide elections are held on odd years, with the primary (first round) in October and the runoff (general election) in November. The state's unique primary method ,

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814-486: The following year. The president and vice president are inaugurated (sworn in) on Inauguration Day , which is usually January 20. Many state and local government offices are also elected on Election Day as a matter of convenience and cost saving. Most governors are elected in midterm years. A handful of states hold elections for state offices during odd-numbered off years . States may hold special elections for offices that have become vacant. Congress has mandated

851-456: The media. MMB works in concert with other state agencies to provide coordinated human resources management to all three branches of state government. In particular, it negotiates with bargaining units and maintains the civil service classification system. MMB also provides human resources training and leadership development to other state agencies, administers employee insurance plans and payroll, and enforces federal and state laws applicable to

888-489: The method determined by each state. Elections to the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate are held every two years. All representatives are elected to serve two-year terms. Senators serve six-year terms, staggered so that one third of senators are elected in any given general election. Elections held two years after presidential elections are referred to as midterm elections . Terms for those elected begin in January

925-479: The opening of more polling stations with more workers while raising awareness of the importance of voting and civic participation. The bill was reintroduced on November 12, 2014, and again on September 25, 2018, by independent Senator Bernie Sanders . It has never been enacted. Most states allow early voting , letting voters cast their ballots before Election Day. Early voting periods vary from 4 to 50 days prior to Election Day. Unconditional early voting in person

962-448: The opportunity to get to their precinct and vote. The United Auto Workers union has negotiated making Election Day a holiday for workers of U.S. domestic auto manufacturers. In January 2019, Sandusky, Ohio became the first city in the country to make Election Day a paid holiday for city employees by eliminating Columbus Day . In April 2020, the Governor of Virginia Ralph Northam signed legislation that established Election Day as

999-423: The past 50 years, two incumbent auditors - Arne Carlson and Mark Dayton - have won competitive gubernatorial races. Conversely, no incumbent or former secretary of state has ever won an election for governor or U.S. senator in that timeframe; the same goes for any incumbent or former attorney general . Likewise, Rudy Perpich and Tina Smith are the only lieutenant governors since 1972 to ever be elected

1036-614: The state auditor performs under contract the annual single audit of federal programs administered by state agencies and their subrecipients (i.e., nonprofits and localities), which accounts for another $ 20 to $ 26 billion of public spending depending on the fiscal year. The state auditor's authority transcends jurisdictions and applies to all local governments, be they counties, cities, towns, school districts, local pension funds, metropolitan and regional agencies, or myriad special purpose districts, and to every state agency that receives federal financial assistance . Public expenditures overseen by

1073-435: The state auditor prescribes uniform systems of accounting and budgeting applicable to all local governments, collects and analyses local government financial data, and provides training opportunities to local government officials and employees on matters of public administration and financial management . The state auditor also issues annual statutory reports on matters of asset forfeiture , municipal lobbying , and

1110-574: The state auditor thus exceed what state agencies are authorized to spend annually. In keeping with this position of trust, the state auditor renders opinions on the presentation of governments' financial statements and their overall fiscal health , examines compliance over financial management with internal controls , conducts best practices reviews of locally-delivered public services , reviews audit reports prepared by private accounting firms , and investigates complaints of waste , fraud , or abuse of public funds and resources. In addition,

1147-549: The state government's workforce. The first iteration of MMB was the Budget Bureau, a division of the Department of Administration created in 1939 to assist the governor in the preparation of the executive budget. Later in 1971, the Loaned Executive Action Program (LEAP) convened by the late Wendell Anderson , Minnesota's 33rd governor, recommended consolidating the state's accounting and budgeting functions into

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1184-443: The state's land records. Following reorganization, the responsibilities of the state auditor's office were transferred to a state agency known today as the Department of Management and Budget . The Office of the State Auditor then shifted to its present role, which was previously handled by the public examiner, a Cabinet official appointed by the governor that audited local governments and state agencies alike. Following elimination of

1221-503: The territory of Puerto Rico have declared Election Day a civic holiday . Some other states require that workers be permitted to take time off from employment without loss of pay. California Elections Code Section 14000 and New York State Election Law provide that employees without sufficient time to vote must be allowed two hours off with pay, at the beginning or end of a shift. Some employers allow their employees to begin later or leave their workplace early on Election Day to allow them

1258-630: The timing of Election Day. The majority of the electorate have to attend work on Tuesdays. This has led activists to promote alternatives to increase voter turnout . Alternative solutions include making Election Day a federal holiday or merging it with Veterans Day , observed annually on November 11, allowing voting over multiple days, mandating paid time off to vote, encouraging voters to vote early or vote by postal voting , and encouraging states to promote flexible voting. Delaware , Hawaii , Illinois , Kentucky , Louisiana , Montana , New Jersey , New York , Ohio , Virginia , West Virginia , and

1295-536: The winners meeting in the general election on Election Day. Unaffiliated voters may vote in the primary of their choosing. It is unclear whether a candidate will be required to attain a majority of votes in the first round of the party primary to avoid a runoff, or a candidate can advance with a plurality. Most primary elections are held between March and September, mostly on Tuesdays. (federal) = federal holidays, (abbreviation) = state/territorial holidays, (religious) = religious holidays, (cultural) = holiday related to

1332-493: Was avoided because it falls on All Saints' Day , and business owners would generally do bookkeeping for the previous month on the first day of the month. Beginning with Presidential elections, states gradually brought most elections into conformity with this date. The Twentieth Amendment , passed in 1933, changed the beginning and end date for the terms of the President, Vice President, Congressmen, and Senators. It did not affect

1369-541: Was transferred from the legislative auditor to the state auditor beginning in 2021, this division of auditing responsibility has remained constant since 1973. The state auditor's term of office was originally three years. In 1883, voters approved a constitutional amendment changing it to four years. The position of state auditor has become a stepping stone in Minnesota for individuals that hold aspirations of higher office, more so in fact than any other constitutional office. In

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