What to expect in Minnesota on Election Day
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
Minnesota voters will elect a new governor and new senator Tuesday after retirement announcements by two prominent Democrats caused a reshuffling throughout the ballot. Voters will also decide races for other federal and state offices, including contests across the state that could determine control of both chambers of the narrowly divided state Legislature.
The state has been at the center of a political maelstrom in President Donald Trump’s second term, as the Republican president has focused much of his ire on Minnesota and its Democratic leaders.
In the Senate race, Democratic Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Republican Michele Tafoya, a former sports broadcaster, are among four candidates vying to replace Democratic Sen. Tina Smith, who announced in 2025 that she would not seek a second full term.
Flanagan defeated Rep. Angie Craig in the Aug. 11 primary, 59 percent to 39 percent, in one of several Democratic primary matchups this year where progressive candidates outperformed establishment favorites. Smith backed Flanagan in the primary, as did Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Ilhan Omar of the 5th Congressional District. Outgoing Democratic Gov. Tim Walz did not make an endorsement.
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
Tafoya defeated eight candidates in her primary, including former Navy SEAL Adam Schwarze, who had the state party’s endorsement. Trump did not back any candidate in the primary but later endorsed Tafoya for the general election.
In the race for governor, Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Republican state House Speaker Lisa Demuth are among three candidates running to replace Walz. Demuth was the top vote-getter in a seven-candidate primary field that included prominent 2020 election denier and MyPillow founder Mike Lindell, who had Trump’s endorsement. Klobuchar faced minimal opposition for the Democratic nomination.
All seats in both chambers of the Minnesota state Legislature are up in 2026. Democrats have a one-seat advantage in the 67-member state Senate. In the 134-member state House, Democrats and Republicans were deadlocked at 67 seats each until a Republican member vacated his seat after the session adjourned for the year.
Trump lost Minnesota in all three of his presidential campaigns. His best showing was in 2016, when he came within 1.5 percentage points of victory. He lost by about 4 points in 2024, receiving 46.7 percent of the vote.
In statewide races, Democrats typically post big wins in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area in Hennepin and Ramsey counties. They also typically carry the Duluth area in the northeast and the Rochester area in the southeast. Republicans have performed best in smaller, more rural counties across the state.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s 2006 reelection was the last statewide contest Republicans won in Minnesota. The last Republican to win a U.S. Senate race in Minnesota was Norm Coleman in 2002.
Here are some of the key facts about the election:
When do polls close?
Polls close at 8 p.m. If you were in line before 8 p.m., you can stay in line to vote.
What’s on my ballot?
Enter your address to get a personalized look at your ballot with MPR News’ Build Your Ballot tool.
Where do I vote?
You can find your polling place at the secretary of state’s website.
How do I register vote on Election Day?
If you are registering to vote at a polling place on Election Day, you will need to provide proof of residence. Some examples of proof of residence include the following:
Valid Minnesota driver’s license, learner’s permit or ID or their receipt
Tribal ID with name, address, photo and signature
U.S. Passport, U.S. Military or Veteran ID or Approved photo ID (can be expired) along with an approved document, such as a utility or rent bill, that confirms your home address
Bringing along a registered voter from your precinct to sign an oath and vouch for you
Photo ID with a student housing list
Valid registration in the same precinct
Notice of Late Registration
Staff person of a residential facility
To check your voter registration status, visit the secretary of state’s website.
How many people actually vote?
About 2.5 million votes were cast in Minnesota’s 2022 election for governor.
How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?
About 27 percent of the vote in the 2022 gubernatorial election was cast early in person or by mail.
Early voting for this year’s midterm is at a record high in Minnesota. The secretary of state reported more than 886,000 ballots cast through Sunday; it could reach 1 million by the end of Monday.
When are early and absentee votes released?
Counties are expected to release results from early in-person and mail voting throughout the night, along with results from in-person Election Day voting. The first vote reports of the night are expected to include results from all vote types.
Hennepin County, the state’s most populous, expects to release complete results from all vote types in the first vote update. Ramsey and Dakota counties are expected to release relatively few results in their first vote updates, regardless of vote type.
How long does vote-counting usually take?
In the 2024 general election, the AP first reported results at 9:08 p.m., or eight minutes after polls closed. The vote count reached the halfway point at 10:40 p.m. The last vote update of the night was at 4:19 a.m. Wednesday morning with more than 99 percent of total votes counted.
How do recounts work?
Recounts in Minnesota are not automatic, but the losing candidate may request one under certain circumstances. A publicly funded recount can be requested in federal, judicial or state constitutional offices, like governor, if the margin between the winning and losing candidate is less than 0.25 percent of the vote. For state legislative races, the required margin is less than 0.5 percent of the vote. In races in which fewer than 400 votes are cast, the margin is 10 votes or fewer. Candidates may pay for a recount in races in which the vote margin is beyond the threshold for a publicly funded recount.
