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A union dedicated to advocating for nurses, patients, and quality care in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Iowa

Know your rights on Election Day – and use them!

Be prepared when you vote on Nov. 4 – know who you’re voting for and know your rights before you get to the polls.

MNA has endorsed candidates for Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, State Auditor, and the Minnesota House who support nurses and important issues like safe patient standards. The list is on MNA’s website.

Nurses vote 2014

There’s still time to get involved and make sure those people are elected. You can make phone calls or knock on the doors of voters who share our values but need a push and a little information to get them to vote. A list of opportunities is on MNA’s website.

Your Voting Rights
Did you know that you are entitled to paid time off in order to vote in the Nov. 4 elections?

Under state law, “every employee who is eligible to vote in an election has the right to be absent from work for the time necessary to appear at the employee’s polling place, cast a ballot, and return to work… without penalty or deduction from salary or wages because of the absence.” Employers are not allowed to refuse or interfere with this right, directly or indirectly, and cannot require you to use personal or vacation time.  Any employer, manager, or supervisor who interferes with the right to vote is guilty of a misdemeanor under the law.

Please visit the Minnesota Secretary of State’s MNVotes website for information on your rights and a sample letter to provide to your employer.

Voting Early
Why wait until Election Day to vote?  Absentee ballots are available now, even if you are not yet registered to vote.  Thanks to a new law authored by Rep. Steve Simon (MNA’s endorsed candidate for Secretary of State), any Minnesota voter can vote absentee without an excuse, essentially creating early voting for anyone who wants it.

There is still time to vote in person at your county election office.  Visit MNVotes to learn more.

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