Minnesota officials encourage newly eligible voters to turn out on Election Day
ST. PAUL, Minn. — More than one million Minnesotans have already cast their ballot for the 2024 General Election.
"Feels good. Feels good to have my voice heard," Sarah Watson said after voting early in Hennepin County on Monday morning.
The Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State says 1,174,224 ballots have already been accepted in the Nov. 5 election and millions more are expected to vote in person Tuesday.
"Please go out and vote. Your vote matters. It counts. Please, please, please get out and vote," Abby Bonham said.
That's a message state election leaders are pushing Monday morning, too.
"In Minnesota, we have a proud tradition of leading the nation in voter turnout," Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon said.
There are nearly 151,000 ballots not yet returned. Minnesotans still sitting on absentee ballots can physically turn in their ballot by 8 p.m. Tuesday, or opt to vote in person instead.
"I can tell you this is a very durable, very resilient system and a very decentralized system," Simon said.
This year, there are 55,000 new eligible voters, which might make the push back to the number one spot for voter turnout in the nation difficult.
"Please help us get the word out that in Minnesota anyone on probation, parole, supervised release, work release, etc; has the right to vote," Voter Outreach Director Melanie Hazelip said.
Election officials say there are 30,000 election judges trained and ready for everything all across the state.
Polls open at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Find your polling location here.
If you submitted an absentee ballot, you can track it here. If you need to submit your absentee ballot on Election Day, submit it to the election office that sent you your ballot. Some voters may also return it to one of the designated ballot drop box locations, but you may not drop off your ballot at your polling place on Election Day. For more information, click here.
