Bloomington leaders are figuring out how to implement ranked-choice voting after voters opted in November to use the system in future elections.
Ranked-choice voting, an election method in which voters rank candidates for office in order of preference, is gaining traction throughout the metro area — Minnetonka also approved it in November, and St. Louis Park implemented it in 2018. Minneapolis and St. Paul have used the system for years.
Approval is just the first step. Bloomington needs to pass an ordinance that lays out the process for ranked-choice voting, such as deciding the number of candidates each voter may rank for each office and how to handle write-ins, recounts, ballot layout and the tabulation process.
A public hearing on the draft ordinance is scheduled for March 22. This year's Election Day, Nov. 2, will be the first time Bloomington puts the new method to use.
Kim Hyatt
Scandia
No joke: Snowplows named for Ole, Lena
A snowplow naming contest inspired by one in Scotland drew hundreds of suggestions for Scandia's three snowplows, with voters from Sweden to Wyoming choosing from a finalist list of 35 names. The winners: Ole, Sven and Lena.
The names of fictional characters who star in legions of jokes are a fitting tribute to a city that prides itself on its Swedish heritage, said Mayor Christine Maefsky. "I was happy to see that the names were related to Scandia. They were not generic," she said after winners were announced last week. The winning entry was submitted by Scandia resident Jeff Blomseth.
Among the names plowed aside: No More Mr. Ice Guy, Dala Dozer, Snow Me the Way, Snowzilla, Bette Davis Ice and Harry Plowtter.