“Minnesota and National Elections and Civics in 2026” by Greg Laden

“Minnesota and National Elections and Civics in 2026” by Greg Laden

Sunday, October 18, 2026

Minnesota Atheists - Hybrid Meeting
Free and Open to the Public

In person and via Zoom
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85698937389?pwd=eafVTIn9hYaxL3Tb3XOB8JcNTdatAn.1
Zoom Meeting ID: 856 9893 7389; Passcode: 166449

Merriam Park Library
1831 Marshall Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55104
(There is a small library parking lot, but there is also free parking in the neighborhood.)

1:00-1:30 pm - Library opens. Social Time. Zoom starts.
1:30-1:50 pm - Business Meeting. (Open to the public.)
1:50-2:00 pm - Break
2:00-3:30 pm - Public Meeting: “Minnesota and National Elections and Civics in 2026” by Greg Laden
3:30 pm - Leave for Dinner *

* Longfellow Grill
2990 W. River Pkwy.
Minneapolis, MN 55406
(1.4 miles west of the library, just over the Mississippi River, where Marshall Ave. in St. Paul turns into E. Lake St. in Minneapolis.)
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Minnesota and National Elections and Civics in 2026

Every election is different, but there seems to be one thing true of all of them: Every election is the most important election so far.

Also, almost every jurisdiction is different and every state is different, and this often leads to unproductive conversations in which untenable assertions drive the conversation. Talking about elections without a nuanced understanding of the process is a little like talking about evolution using the intellectual tools developed by creationists.

We will spend some time painting this year’s “most important election ever” at the national and state level, with a look at gerrymandering, election security, and what is happening at the extreme ends of the political spectrum, both of which seem to be extra important this year.

In addition, Indivisible West Metro set out years ago to put together a practicum on the multidimensional reality of how the political and electoral process works in Minnesota, which turns out to be very complicated. We’ll spend some time with a version of this material, exploring how a complex history has resulted in a uniquely complex system of boundary and districts, and what this means to each Minnesota voter and interested resident.

Greg Laden, in his other life when he is not an evolutionary biologist, is a co-leader of one of the area’s largest Indivisible groups, “Indivisible West Metro,” which supports democracy, fair elections, and education about civics. Greg has been a senior operative or manager for several campaigns at the local, state, and national level, and writes about Minnesota and national politics in his subtack, Auspicious Subtext.

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