What We Do
Voter Registration
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In coordination with LWV of Minnesota and other organizations, LWV of Dakota County regularly engages in voter registration efforts. Annually we take part in National Voter Registration Day and we also seek to register individuals to vote at our events. Among Minnesota counties, Dakota County has one of the highest percentages of voters registered prior to election day (94.8% in 2020) and we hope to help maintain that trend for many years to come.
Candidate and Issue Forums
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In order to promote informed, effective participation in government, LWV of Dakota County sponsors candidate and issue forums. Candidate forums assist voters in hearing directly from potential office-holders and incumbent candidates shortly before an election. Issue forums may focus on a ballot initiative or levy referendum, or address an issue that is of ongoing concern to the community.
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We adhere to strict policies to maintain nonpartisanship. League members who participate in such forums make every effort to be fair and enforce the rules agreed to by the candidates or other participants. Likewise, moderators assist in maintaining decorum and ensuring that any questions are not formulated in a manner that unduly favors a particular candidate or political party.
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Given LWV of Dakota County's limited resources and the attention paid to more high-profile races by other organizations, we generally host candidate forums for local and regional races. These may include candidates seeking office within our state legislature or a seat on a county board, school board, or city council. We are open to cosponsoring candidate and issue forums with other nonpartisan organizations and welcome opportunities to partner with others in fostering an informed electorate.
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For video of past forums, access our Candidate Forums Archive and our Issue Forums Archive.
Civic Engagement
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We educate and encourage people to become active, effective members of their community. We study and bring attention to public policy issues, promote government transparency, and help individuals gain the skills and knowledge needed to influence their government at the local, state, and national levels. We monitor the processes and decisions of local government bodies in an effort to ensure those bodies are responsive to the residents they serve.
In conjunction with LWV of the United States (LWVUS) and LWV of Minnesota, we support a variety of public policy objectives. Our core policy goals include protecting voting rights and supporting equitable elections that maximize the participation of the electorate. We also support reducing the influence of money in electoral politics, increasing the access of all residents to quality, affordable health care, protecting the environment, and comprehensive immigration reform.
For more information about policy goals adopted by LWVUS, you may visit their website and view an extensive list of formal policy positions in their publication titled Impact on Issues. To learn more about policy goals adopted by LWV of Minnesota, you may visit their website and read an extensive list of formal policy positions in their publication titled Program for Action.