in  the mwsa convinced the minnesota senate to take up womens suffrage president julia bullard nelson worked with ignatius donnelly a populist state senator the populists regularly supported a womens suffrage plank nelson herself was a populist school superintendent candidate in  nelson and donnelly initially sought the vote for women in municipal elections however the senate went further its members voted to remove the word "male" from the states voting requirements the bill passed thirty-two to nineteen however this change did not pass the house that chamber did not have time to take it up before the legislative session ended even if it had passed the house however the voters of minnesota would have had to approve it before it became law