Minnesota reports record midterm early voting turnout

Audio By Carbonatix

(The Center Square) – Minnesota is reporting record-high turnout during early voting, with more residents casting ballots before Election Day than in any previous midterm election.

As of Nov. 2, nearly 900,000 Minnesotans have already cast their ballots. With nearly 4 million registered voters statewide, that means roughly one in four has voted early.

“Early voting in Minnesota is sky-high,” said Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon.

Mail-in voting began Sept. 18, while in-person early voting started Oct. 16. As of Nov. 2, the Minnesota secretary of state's website reported 266,580 mail-in ballots and 619,847 in-person ballots accepted, for a combined total of 886,427 ballots.

The current total far exceeds early voting numbers in previous midterm elections, when 687,062 ballots were returned in 2022 and 652,053 in 2018.

The 886,427 ballots also surpass the 689,228 cast early during the 2016 general election.

Minnesota first introduced no-excuse absentee voting in 2014, allowing voters to cast ballots early without providing a reason.

Simon is predicting continued “really high” turnout going into Election Day.

This comes as immigration policy, concerns over widespread fraud and the high cost of living take center stage in the North Star State.