Record early voting numbers for Minnesota primary election

ST. PAUL, MINN. — Minnesota state election officials held an election update press conference on the eve of the state’s August 11 primary election.

Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon reported that 206,196 Minnesotans had already voted in the primary as of Monday morning. The total marks the highest number of early votes recorded for a primary election in a non-presidential election year in state history. Approximately 213,000 ballots remain outstanding.

Voter deadlines, guidelines 

Secretary Simon urged voters holding mail-in absentee ballots to hand-deliver them by 5:00 p.m. on Election Day.

“Remember, we are not a postmark state,” Simon said. “Some are, we are not. Our rule is and always has been that the ballot has to get there by election day.”

Key voting guidelines and deadlines stated by officials include:

• Mail-In Ballot Tracking: Voters who returned their ballot by mail can track its delivery status online at mnvotes.gov.
• In-Person Early Voting: Local election offices close for early in-person voting at 5:00 p.m. on the eve of Election Day.
• Election Day Hours: Polling places will operate from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.. Anyone in line at a polling place as of 8:00 p.m. is legally permitted to vote.
• Voter Qualifications: Voters must be at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen, a resident of Minnesota for at least 20 days, and not currently incarcerated for a felony conviction. Eligible voters can register at their designated polling place on Election Day.
• Partisan Ballot Rules: Voters participating in person must vote exclusively within one political party’s contest for partisan races. State voting equipment is programmed to alert voters if they cross over political parties, allowing them to correct their ballot.

Voting process, unofficial results 

Director of Elections Paul Linnell noted that roughly 3,000 polling places will be open across the state on Election Day. This primary is the first election where every Minnesota voter had the option to cast a ballot directly into a tabulator during an 18-day early voting period, following state legislation passed in 2023.

Unofficial results will begin posting at mnvotes.gov after polls close at 8:00 p.m., refreshing in 10-minute intervals. Linnell explained that results from polling places, early voting, and absentee ballot boards must be combined and verified before county officials upload precinct counts to the state’s secure system.

“It should not be surprising to see results posted for just a small number of precincts in the early hours after the polls close on election night, and then have several precinct results added all at once after absentee counting is finished and the results page is refreshed,” Linnell said. “These are not unexplained dumps of results.”

All results reported on election night remain unofficial until reviewed by county canvassing boards later in the week and the state canvassing board the following week.

The following sites are in Clay County:

Cities

Townships

Election security, federal observers 

Election Security Navigator Bill Ekblad stated that state election teams are partnering with county law enforcement, emergency management, IT, and county attorneys to prepare for physical and cyber threats. Following recent cyber activity directed against water-related systems in Minnesota and other states, Ekblad confirmed there is no known overlap targeting state election systems.

Secretary Simon addressed notifications from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding plans to send federal election monitors to Minnesota polling locations. Simon noted that DOJ monitors observe compliance with Voting Rights Act provisions regarding non-English voter resources and disability accessibility.

Hennepin County and Ramsey County declined the DOJ’s request to enter polling places, which requires local permission under Minnesota law. The DOJ confirmed its monitors will instead stand outside the 100-foot perimeter near polling locations.

In response, the Secretary of State’s Office is coordinating with the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office to deploy personnel to observe the federal monitors outside the 100-foot boundary.