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About 250,000 Minnesotans voted early this year, a strong showing that suggests both interest in the high-profile August primary this year and comfort with options to cast ballots ahead of Election Day.

The statistics from the Secretary of State's Office, as of 3 p.m. Tuesday, are a record for a non-presidential primary year. It would be an all-time record if not for the surge in remote and early voting in 2020 during COVID-19.

Minnesota has expanded its early voting options over the last couple of decades. Voters used to have to claim a legitimate excuse for requesting an absentee ballot, ranging from health reasons to work travel to military service to acting as an election judge outside of the precinct.

Now, Minnesota has no-excuse absentee balloting. There are also more in-person voting options at local elections offices, which have been expanded in this election, too.

The latest: Minnesota primary election 

MPR News Staff

Author

The statistics from the Secretary of State's Office, as of 3 p.m. Tuesday, are a record for a non-presidential primary year. It would be an all-time record if not for the surge in remote and early voting in 2020 during COVID-19.


Signs sit outside of a building welcoming people in for voting.

Early voting in Minnesota reaches 250K, record for a midterm primary

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