MnRA has been working in parternership with the Minnesota Secretary of State to communucate voting options in this unsual pandemic election. Below is an edited version of what the Secretary of State's Office communicated to us relative to recomneded changes for those submitting an absentee ballot.  Please share with your neighbors, customers annd employees! Let's make sure every vote counts.

Yesterday's  U.S. 8^th Circuit Appeals Court reversed the consent decree of the Ramsey County Court which established the extension (postmarked by 11/3; received by 11/10) for returning an absentee ballot (AB) by mail.  It is incredibly important that everyone hear of this change, and their options if they have mailed back their AB or are planning to.  The voter makes the decision, but if they are concerned about their vote arriving in time to be counted, please share the following:

• · ALL ballots must be returned to the county elections office by Tuesday, November 3. 
• · Deadline to drop it off in person is 3 p.m.; deadline for mail or delivery service is 8 p.m.
• · Ballots arriving after November 3-regardless of the postmark- will not be counted.
  
  
• · Make a plan:
  1. ABs already accepted by the counties are fine, and no action need be taken.
  2. If a voter has mailed back their AB but they have not confirmed its receipt and acceptance:
     • Confirm the status of the ballot
       • Use the tracker on our website: https://mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us/AbsenteeBallotStatus.aspx, or
       • Contact the county elections office (or city if the city runs ABs, e.g. Minneapolis) to ask for the status of their AB:  https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/find-county-election-office/
     • If the ballot has been accepted, no further action is needed
     • If the ballot has not been accepted, vote in person:
       • Vote early in person at the county Elections Office or an early voting site the voter is eligible to use: https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/other-ways-to-vote/cities-and-towns-with-in-person-absentee-voting/ or
       • Vote on November 3 at the voter’s polling place: https://pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us/

NOTE: The system will not allow a voter to vote twice.  When voting early in person, the site will confirm the voter is eligible to vote early (has not turned in a ballot already), and at the polling place, the roster will reflect if the voter has had an AB accepted already.  For ABs received on Election Day, the county will contact the polling place to confirm that the voter has not voted in person, accept the AB, and instruct the Roster Judge to mark an AB next to the voter’s name (or update the E-Poll Book).

3. If a voter has their AB which was mailed to them or had been previously picked up:

• • ADVISE THEY DO NOT MAIL THE AB BACK.  While it is the voter’s right to return the AB by mail, there is no way to guarantee that the mailed AB will arrive by 11/3.
  • Assuming that the voter is eligible to use the location, any AB may be returned at a drop box, early voting location, or county Elections Office.  (Again, make sure the voter is eligible to use that location.  County Elections Offices are open for drop-offs for all residents of the county.)  https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/other-ways-to-vote/cities-and-towns-with-in-person-absentee-voting/  (This list was updated with additional sites and drop-off locations on Tuesday, 10/27.)
  • Minnesota law allows a person to drop off up to three ballots for others during an election (not per trip or per day) in person, but not using a drop box (unless the drop box has someone there to track users).  The person dropping off ballots will need to show identification and identify whose ballots they are turning in.

St. Paul, Minnesota – October 28, 2020 – Today the Minnesota Retailers Association (MnRA) and Minnesota Pharmacists Association (MPhA) announce the awarding of funds to eight pharmacies across Minnesota.  Under the program--with funds generously provided by the Rx Abuse Leadership Initiative (RALI) of Minnesota--applications were solicited from pharmacies looking to enhance safe customer access or medication security within the context of the pandemic or recent unrest.

Projects funded include: two-way customer communication systems and upgraded cameras; enhanced windows, lighting and locks; and customer signage and support for curbside and delivery services for vulnerable customers.

Pharmacies receiving awards:

• Como Pharmacy, St. Paul
• Lloyd’s Pharmacy, St. Paul
• Mix Pharmacy, Oakdale
• Pelican Drug, Pelican Rapids
• Rolseth Drug, Forest Lake
• Seward Pharmacy, Minneapolis
• Thrifty White Pharmacy, Marshall
• Trumm Drug, Alexandria

“Pharmacies across the State have been heroic in reopening and remaining open and available to customers amid pandemic and unrest challenges,” says MnRA president Bruce Nustad. “We know Minnesotans depend on their community pharmacist, and are pleased these awards support continued, safe customer access.”

 “The pandemic and unrest have reminded us that pharmacies and safe access to medications are essential in each of Minnesota’s communities,” says MPhA Executive Director Sarah Derr. “We are grateful to RALI MN for supporting this program, as well as to the team that reviewed applications for funds.”

MnRA and MPhA are proud partners with RALI MN in combatting the opioid epidemic in Minnesota.

Contacts:

Minnesota Retailers Association, Bruce Nustad
Tel. (651) 227-6631, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Minnesota Pharmacists Association, Sarah Derr
Tel. (763) 227-9622, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Rx Abuse Leadership Initiative (RALI) of Minnesota
www.ralimn.org

# # #

Recently the Minnesota Retailers Association along with several local chambers of commerce surveyed retailers relating to the current COVID customer capacity restrictions in place across the State. Overwhelmingly retailers subject to the current 50 percent capacity restriction indicated a strong desire to move to at least 75 precent before the Thanksgiving holiday, with one in three retailers saying the viability of their business depends on an increase.

Retailers indicated such an increase is important as they have leveraged their businesses to invest in seasonal and holiday inventory. And after being closed to in-store customers and soft sales during the pandemic, the final few months of 2020 are a make-it or break-it sales season for many.

The vast majority of retailers report they feel prepared for more capacity and have the processes and systems in place to do so safely and comfortably for both customer and employees, and a capacity increase will result in the addition of seasonal and long term job opportunities for Minnesotans across the state at a critical time.

In addition, the survey showed retailers are proud of the job the industry has done during the pandemic and are aware this is not the year for large crowds, as can be typically seen on holiday traffic days such as the day after Thanksgiving. As such, many retailers are spreading sales out over a longer period and with continued alternative shopping options including curbside, delivery and shipping.

Retailers also told us the State has a role to play in partnership with retailers to continue to tell the story of how this industry is responding to the pandemic and the precautions taken to protect consumers and employees.