Mark's record of service to Minnesota's military personnel and veterans

Mark with WW2 veteran at Korean War MemorialSecretary of State Mark Ritchie worked with legislators to remove barriers to voting for our troops - with clear results: there was a 300% increase in successfully cast military ballots.

  • Mark partnered with the Pentagon to pass legislation allowing ballots to be sent to military and overseas voters by email to simplify the process. As a result of this and other changes, the absentee ballot rejection rates for military and overseas voters has been dramatically reduced: from 8% in 2006 to 2% in 2008, and down again in the 2010 primary to less than 1%. This is 1/4 the rejection rate for domestic absentee ballots.
     
  • While making voting much easier, Mark has been working to get the word out to military personnel about when, where, and how to vote. One of his most successful efforts is the new military voter website used by over 5,000 military and overseas voters in the last election.
     
  • The National Defense Committee put it this way "Secretary of State Mark Ritchie made military ballot protection a key priority of this Department. The result is that twice as many military ballots are actually cast, and half as many are rejected, as the national average in 2006."

Mark has been honored by the Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) as a Patriotic Employer in appreciation for support of employees' participation in the guard and reserve.

Secretary Ritchie championed legislation to assist small business owners returning from active duty and has helped new veteran-owned businesses through the Office of the Secretary of State, the Veterans' Initiative Center and Research Institute (VICTRI), Defense Industry Alliance and as a community advisory committee member of our local US Army Recruitment Battalion.

Finally, Secretary of State Ritchie launched the Vote in Honor of a Veteran Program - a partnership with the MN Department of Veterans Affairs, MN Assistance Council  for Veterans, Kids Voting, and the General John Vessey Chapter of the Assn for the US Army, where Mark is active as a non-veteran Life Member. This program serves to remind people that our right to vote has been ensures by the work and sacrifice of our nation's veterans.