Turnout: Making Minnesota the State That Votes

by Joan Anderson Growe, Hillary Rodham Clinton (Foreword), Lori Sturdevant (Contributor)

High voter turnout in Minnesota is no accident. It arose from the traditions of this state's early Yankee and northern European immigrants, and it has been sustained by wisely chosen election policies. Many of these policies were designed and implemented during the twenty-four-year tenure of Minnesota Secretary of State Joan Anderson Growe.

In inspiring and often funny prose, Growe recounts the events that framed her life and changed the state's voting practices. She grew up in a household that never missed an election. After an astounding grassroots feminist campaign, she was elected to the state legislature in 1972; two years later, she was elected secretary of state, the state';s chief elections administrator. As one of the nation's leading advocates for reliable elections and convenient voting, Growe worked with county officials to secure Election Day registration (used for the first time in 1974) as a Minnesota norm. She brought new technology into elections administration and promoted "motor voter" registration. And as an ardent feminist, she has encouraged and inspired scores of other women to run for office.

Part political history and part memoir, this book is a reminder to Minnesotans to cherish and protect their tradition of clean, open elections.

Genres: Politics

224 pages, Paperback

Published August 11, 2020

Reviews

[Mindy Greiling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful memoir of our great Secretary of State Joan Growe and her leadership in making Minnesota the star in voting turnout and clean elections. Who would have known that she also suffered domestic abuse and poverty as a young woman? Working hand and glove with Lori Sturdevant, our Minnesota historian extraordinaire, Joan chronicles important and salty political stories of being a determined and talented woman who knew how to surround herself with similar people and who plowed much new territory for women.

[Kellymark44 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent reminder of the importance on citizen involvement in a healthy democracy and how voting laws encourage or discourage involvement. Minnesota has a history of high voter turnout and this book explains how Minnesota achieves this status. The book tells the story of voter laws, campaigns and elections in a very fun and insightful way making Minnesota election history a page turner!

I wish this was required reading in every high school!

[Judy Ring · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are certain things we should all know about the inner workings of our government. Joan captures a look inside with her early seat at the table in a mans world of politics. Thank you Joan for sitting at the table, thank you for sharing your story. Women, girls and men and boys need to read this book. Thanks for reminding us where we were, but also inspiring us to pick up and keep moving forward. You don’t have to be a Minnesotan to love this book.