Hennepin County's election director explains what to expect on election night
MINNEAPOLIS — Nearly one in four registered voters in Hennepin County have also already voted. On Wednesday the county's top election official is sharing what you can expect come election night.
"I feel great. It's been a while since we've gotten a chance to get out here and vote, so I feel wonderful about it," said Hennepin County voter LaShawn Raines.
Raines has joined the over 200,000 plus who've *already* cast a ballot countywide.
"I happened to be in the government center today, I noticed they had early voting and absentee ballots, I took advantage of the opportunity," said Raines.
"We're seeing more people turn out earlier in the 46-day absentee process, which is actually helpful," said election director Ginny Gelms.
The 50 or so early voting sites in Hennepin County will have extended hours this weekend.
This year, you can hand in an absentee vote as late as 8 p.m. on election night, although Gelms says this could delay results.
"I'm anxious to know, eager to know, the results on election night just like anyone else. We're going as fast as we can, but our biggest priority is to make sure the numbers are accurte," said Gelms. "We're not going to release results until we've counted every ballot."
Despite a viral photo of unattended votes in Edina and instances of tampered votes in other states, Gelms says she's confident things at home are running smooth.
For Raines, she just wants to make sure people get out and vote.
"I've heard so many people say, 'Oh, I'm not sure if I'm voting. Just come out in vote, if you have to write someone in in the write in, make sure you come out and vote," said Raines.
Wednesday, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that Hennepin County violated election laws by choosing GOP election judges who were not on an official party list. Gelms told us she believed they were following the law and has since reached out to everyone on that official list.