Fateh's Mayor Endorsement Revoked After Messy DFL Convention

The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party has nullified the results of the Minneapolis DFL’s July 19 endorsement convention due to significant failures in the voting process, as determined by the party’s Constitution, Bylaws and Rules Committee (CBRC).

This decision revokes the local party’s endorsement of mayoral candidate Omar Fateh, a member of the Democrat Socialists of America (DSA). The convention featured five candidates, including incumbent mayor Jacob Frey, who finished second. Frey previously served as mayor during the 2020 George Floyd riots.

In Minnesota, the DFL conducts local endorsement conventions where candidates present their platforms and party members select top candidates for the primary. The party typically shares its voter rolls with the endorsed candidate, making it challenging for Democrats to succeed in the primary or general election without this endorsement, especially in a predominantly Democratic city like Minneapolis.

The convention aimed to endorse candidates for both the Minneapolis mayoral race and park board districts. Following the event at the Minneapolis Target Center, the state DFL received challenges alleging multiple rule violations, with Frey among the challengers. A challenge hearing was held on August 17, leading to a seven-page report detailing the findings.

The investigation revealed that the master check-in sheet used for delegate registration was not secured, allowing for potential manipulation of ID numbers in the voting process. The mayoral race experienced an undercount of 176 votes, and one candidate was improperly removed from the ballot during the second round of voting. Initially, 578 votes were counted, but subsequent reconciliation showed that 754 ballots had been cast.

A digital credentials spreadsheet utilized for vote counting was also found to be unsecured and accessed by individuals outside the credentials committee, including campaign staff. The report indicated that a spreadsheet created by DFL Head Teller Amy Livingston contained numerous broken formulas, complicating the vote tabulation process. After the first round of voting, technical issues arose, and despite efforts to resolve them, it took hours to report the initial results.

The CBRC concluded that the electronic voting system used by the Minneapolis DFL was fundamentally flawed. When a delegate raised concerns about the discrepancy in vote counts, a motion to redo the first vote was not seconded. Later, a motion was made to change the voting method, which was seconded, resulting in a shift in procedures mid-convention.

The CBRC stated, “The challengers have proven by clear and convincing evidence that the endorsement of Omar Fateh for mayor of Minneapolis was facilitated by the use of a flawed electronic voting system, which caused substantial undercount on the first ballot of the mayoral endorsement.”

As a result of the convention’s issues, the state DFL has not only revoked Fateh’s endorsement but has also mandated that all five mayoral candidates gain access to the voter rolls. The Minneapolis DFL is prohibited from conducting another mayoral endorsing convention in 2025 and from endorsing a candidate through its central or executive committee. Additionally, the Minneapolis DFL has been placed on probation for two years under the supervision of the DFL State Executive Committee, which will require a compliance plan from the local party.

The CBRC also recommended that any future use of electronic voting systems by DFL units undergo prior review and approval by the state party.