We likely all recall the state of affairs four years ago. In 2018, President Trump dismissed the entire National Security Council’s global health pandemic response team. By February 2020, he was dismissing the coronavirus as the “Democrat’s new hoax.” The death toll was rising, and come summer, Trump was dubbing the pandemic as “kung flu” and the “Chinese virus.” As the casualties mounted, by autumn, many opted for mail-in voting for safety reasons. Preserving safety and, frankly, staying alive, became the priority.
Fast forward to March 2024, after two vaccines and six booster shots, voting in person felt secure. I have rarely missed a chance to vote, considering it both a right and a duty. Over the years in St. Cloud, my polling place has shifted from Garfield School to various locations like the park building at Eastman Park, the new public library, and now the new City Hall (old Tech). However, one constant remains—the sight of the American flag outside signaling “this is the polling place.”
This display is not mere decoration; it is mandated by a Minnesota statute (204c.08 subd 1C) that requires the flag to be hoisted at the entrance of the polling place throughout the voting hours. Failure to comply results in the judges not being compensated.
On the evening of March 5, I headed to City Hall to cast my vote. Despite the darkness, I was confident in finding the polling location by spotting the flag. However, my search led me through multiple entrances until I finally located the flag outside the designated voting room, tucked away at the end of a convoluted path.
While technically meeting the legal requirement, the flag’s placement inside the building contradicted the voters’ expectations. The election judges acknowledged receiving numerous comments about the flag’s location. Despite this feedback, the individual in charge defended the placement decision, insisting that the flag was indeed at the polling place entrance.
Following this experience, I reached out to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office for clarification. While the City Hall’s flag placement adhered to the literal wording of the law, it failed to align with the law’s spirit, common interpretation, and voter expectations.
Life presents us with choices. We can choose to vote, support various causes, or even decide how to guide voters to a polling place in an unfamiliar setting. Ultimately, one can opt to uphold the spirit of the law and the expectations of the electorate by placing the flag visibly outside, aiding voters in fulfilling their civic responsibility.