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Record of Proceedings

Ramsey County Board Meeting - October 20, 2026: Election Preparedness and Operational Updates

Board of Commissioners & Authorities — Tuesday, October 20, 2026
BodyRamsey County, Minnesota
SessionBoard of Commissioners & Authorities
DateTuesday, October 20, 2026
StatusNEW · FILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:48:25

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:07

Jebin Singh is running a little bit behind.

0:09

Commissioner McGuire.

Speaker 2

0:11

Here.

Speaker 1

0:11

McMurtry.

0:12

Here.

0:12

Miller.

0:13

Here.

0:13

Moran.

0:14

Here.

0:14

Zhang.

0:15

Here.

0:15

And Ortega.

Speaker 3

0:17

Hi.

0:19

We'll stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

Speaker 4

0:27

And to the Republic for which it stands.

0:29

My nation.

Speaker 3

0:36

Land acknowledgement commission McGuire, please.

0:39

Oh, Commissioner John.

0:43

I was calling in your replacement.

Speaker 5

0:49

Thank you, Mr.

0:50

Chair.

0:50

Every community owes its assistance and vitality to generations from around the world who contributed their hopes, dreams, and energy to making the history that led to this moment.

1:01

Some were brought here against their will.

1:03

Some were drawn to leave their distant homes in hope of a better life.

1:06

And some have lived on this land since time immemorial.

1:10

Truth and acknowledgement are critical to building mutual respect and connection across all barriers of heritage and

Speaker 6

1:17

difference.

Speaker 5

1:18

We are standing on the ancestral lands of the Dakota people.

1:22

We want to acknowledge the Ojibwe, the Ho Chunk, and the other nations of people who also call this place home.

1:29

We pay respects to their elders, past and present.

1:32

Please take a moment to consider the treaties made by the tribal nations that entitle non-native people to live and work on traditional native lands.

1:42

Consider the many legacies of violence, displacement, migration, and settlement that bring us together here today.

1:50

And please join us in uncovering such truths at any and all public events.

1:55

Thank you.

Speaker 3

1:56

Thank

Unassigned speaker

1:56

you.

Speaker 2

2:02

So moved.

2:03

Second.

Speaker 3

2:04

See no discussion roll call.

Speaker 1

2:08

Zhang.

Unassigned speaker

2:09

Aye.

Speaker 1

2:09

Jebin Singh.

2:10

Aye.

2:11

McGuire.

2:11

Aye.

2:12

McMurtry.

2:13

Aye.

2:13

Miller.

2:14

Aye.

2:14

Moran.

2:15

And Ortega.

Speaker 3

2:16

Hi.

2:17

I'd like to take a motion on the minutes of October 13th, 2026 as presented.

Speaker 7

2:24

So moved.

2:25

Second.

Speaker 3

2:26

Seeing no discussion, roll call.

Speaker 1

2:28

Zhang.

Speaker 7

2:29

Aye.

Speaker 1

2:30

Jebin Singh.

2:30

Aye.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Election Services█████████████████████████████████████████41%
Public Engagement███████████11%
Voting Rights███████████11%
Economic Development███████7%
Affordable Housing█████5%
Public Safety████4%
Homelessness████4%
Technology and Innovation███3%
Personnel Matters███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Ramsey County Board of Commissioners Meeting Summary - October 20, 2026

The Ramsey County Board of Commissioners convened on October 20, 2026, at the Council Chambers in the Courthouse. The meeting began with a roll call, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a land acknowledgement led by Commissioner McGuire. Commissioner Jebin Singh participated remotely. The board unanimously approved the meeting agenda (2026-414) and the minutes from October 13, 2026 (2026-415). The primary focus was a detailed presentation on the final preparations for the November 3, 2026 General Election, followed by operational updates and committee reports.

Consent Calendar

  • Agenda and Minutes Approval: The board unanimously approved the agenda for October 20, 2026 (2026-414) and the minutes from October 13, 2026 (2026-415) via roll call votes.
  • Agreement Amendment: The board unanimously approved an amendment to the single-source agreement with Compulink Management Center, Inc. (Laserfiche) for a subscription license agreement for the period of October 25, 2026, through October 24, 2031 (Item 3, 2026-392).

Discussion Items

  • General Election Preparations (November 3, 2026): David Triplett, Deputy Director of Property Tax, Records & Election Services, provided an extensive update on election readiness.

    • Absentee & Early Voting: The county mailed over 30,000 absentee ballots. In-person early voting began on October 16 with four county locations, seeing over 2,700 voters on the first day alone. The Shoreview Library and Arlington Hills Rec Center saw record turnout.
    • New Initiatives: For the first time, the county held single-day voting events at five college campuses (St. Kate's, Hamline, St. Thomas, U of M, Concordia), averaging 115 voters per location. The county also provides accessible voting at 27 healthcare facilities.
    • Election Day Operations: On November 3, 165 polling places will be staffed by approximately 2,000 election judges. Over 60 training courses have been held. Security planning includes a multi-agency stakeholder team.
    • System Security: Ramsey County does not use modems to transmit results; all materials are physically transported by judges. The county is upgrading its voting system from Verity to Vanguard (2.0) with a contract anticipated by year-end.

  • County Manager's Operational Update: County Manager Baker provided an update on board-approved initiatives.

    • HR1 Implementation: To address increased federal requirements, 28 new eligibility specialists for the Financial Assistance Services team have been hired (17.5 funded by contingency funds, plus other vacancies). Training will take up to nine months.
    • ADC Overtime Reduction: Of the 32 approved new correctional officer positions, 36 were hired and 30 remain employed. Approximately 65% come from diverse backgrounds and nearly 20% are women. The county projects a $600,000 savings by year-end and $2.6 million in savings for 2027.
    • Commissioner Miller noted that residents in the correctional facility have reported improved conditions, such as having two deputies in each pod and less lockdown time.

  • Outside Board and Committee Reports:

    • Rice Creek Commons / Microcontrol: Commissioners celebrated the ribbon cutting of the Microcontrol building in Arden Hills. The company exceeded its hiring goal, employing over 300 people.
    • Veteran Homelessness: Commissioner Jebin Singh announced that Ramsey County was officially recognized by the state as the 10th and final jurisdiction in Minnesota to effectively end veteran homelessness. Since 2015, 804 veterans in Ramsey County have been housed through a sustained collective effort.
    • Other Reports: Commissioners reported on the District 10 meeting, MELSA library board, MESB executive committee, the opening of the Midway Diner, a tour of the Less Bestead Golf Course site in Falcon Heights, a landlord listening session for the Heading Home Ramsey County initiative, and the SPIP domestic abuse intervention project candlelight vigil.

Key Outcomes

  • Votes:
    1. Unanimous approval of the meeting Agenda (2026-414).
    2. Unanimous approval of the October 13, 2026 Minutes (2026-415).
    3. Unanimous approval of the Laserfiche subscription license amendment (2026-392).
  • Next Steps:
    • Public Accuracy Test for voting machines on Friday, October 24.
    • Approval of municipal election service contracts at the next board meeting (October 27).
    • Continued work on the voting system upgrade contract.
    • Continued workforce planning and budget addendum discussions for the 2027 budget.

Meeting Transcript

Jebin Singh is running a little bit behind. Commissioner McGuire. Here. McMurtry. Here. Miller. Here. Moran. Here. Zhang. Here. And Ortega. Hi. We'll stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. And to the Republic for which it stands. My nation. Land acknowledgement commission McGuire, please. Oh, Commissioner John. I was calling in your replacement. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Every community owes its assistance and vitality to generations from around the world who contributed their hopes, dreams, and energy to making the history that led to this moment. Some were brought here against their will. Some were drawn to leave their distant homes in hope of a better life. And some have lived on this land since time immemorial. Truth and acknowledgement are critical to building mutual respect and connection across all barriers of heritage and difference. We are standing on the ancestral lands of the Dakota people. We want to acknowledge the Ojibwe, the Ho Chunk, and the other nations of people who also call this place home. We pay respects to their elders, past and present. Please take a moment to consider the treaties made by the tribal nations that entitle non-native people to live and work on traditional native lands. Consider the many legacies of violence, displacement, migration, and settlement that bring us together here today. And please join us in uncovering such truths at any and all public events. Thank you. Thank you. So moved. Second. See no discussion roll call. Zhang. Aye. Jebin Singh. Aye. McGuire. Aye. McMurtry. Aye. Miller. Aye. Moran.

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