Rochester School Board Eliminates School Election Primaries

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - The Rochester School Board has voted to eliminate primary elections for the seats that will be up for reelection this fall.

Four positions on the Rochester School Board will appear on the November ballot. The seats are currently held by Cathy Nathan, Justin Cook, Jean Marvin, and Julie Workman. The filing period for those positions opens in May.

The vote to move away from using primary elections to narrow the field of candidates for school board positions was 6–1, with school board member Don Barlow casting the lone dissenting vote.

What the Election Change Means

The change means that every candidate who files for the school board seats up for reelection will have their name appear on the fall ballot. Previously, a primary was used if more than two candidates filed for the same school board position. The positions are at-large and represent the entire Rochester school district.

Why Primaries Were Eliminated

Materials included in the school board’s agenda for Tuesday evening’s meeting indicated that only seven school districts throughout the state currently hold primary elections for school board positions. The documentation also states that having a general election without a primary would bring consistency to school board elections and would save the district the money spent on primaries, while also sparing candidates the expense of campaigning in a primary.

The school board also discussed whether to ask the Minnesota State Legislature to repeal a special law that established a so-called “alley system” for school board elections in the Rochester school district. The law was enacted in 1974. The only other school district in Minnesota using the alley system is Alexandria.

The Alley System Debate Explained

Under the alley system, candidates are allowed to challenge a single board member, while about 95% of Minnesota school districts have candidates campaign against each other, with the top vote-getters selected to fill the seats up for election.

The Rochester School Board decided to seek public input on the issue and hold additional discussions before acting on a proposal to repeal the alley system.

Watch the entire School Board meeting by clicking below.

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