Record Early Voting Numbers Drive High Turnout in Minnesota

More than 75,000 Minneapolis residents cast early and absentee ballots before Election Day, shattering the previous record of about 52,000 set in 2018, MPR News reported. A record number of Minnesotans cast early ballots before Tuesday, with voters expressing urgency about issues ranging from the Trump administration to state government fraud.

In Clay County, home to Moorhead, more than 9,000 early ballots were submitted as of Tuesday morning, compared to a little more than 6,000 absentee and mailed ballots in 2022. Even though there was no rush to the polling place doors, a record number of Minnesotans had already voted statewide, and voters in Moorhead from all political affiliations said they were happy about the high turnouts. At the Hjemkomst Center, an election official described the flow as having “peaks and valleys,” with people steadily heading in to vote throughout the day.

Minneapolis Voters Seek a Change of Direction

At the Minneapolis College of Art and Design Tuesday morning, Donna Moreno, 79, finally cast her ballot after finding the early voting line too long to wait in on Monday. She came out early on Election Day to make sure she was able to vote, driven by concern about the direction of the country and hope that Democrats would turn it around.

Minnesota early voting surge: What the higher turnout means

For Moreno, the stakes are deeply personal and financial. “It’s scary, especially when you become a senior,” she said. “I mean, I don’t work anymore. And is what I’ve saved going to be enough?”

Chris Chapman, a 63-year-old retired software engineer, arrived with a different but equally specific motivation. Once nonpartisan, Chapman said he has shifted his voting strategy over the past decade toward trying to keep Republicans out of office, specifically to block Donald Trump’s influence in Minnesota.

Minneapolis seeing big early voter turnout ahead of midterms

“My one motivation is to keep Trump’s impact out of Minnesota,” Chapman said. “That’s my objective because I think every Republican candidate for any office is going to be manipulated by Donald J. Trump and I just want to make sure he doesn’t have control over our state.”

Moorhead Voters Weigh Environment Against Fraud

In Moorhead, the reasons for voting ran across the political spectrum. Dennis Wiesenborn, 68, voted at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church Tuesday morning, sticking with his usual Democratic preference but feeling particularly motivated to stay the course after two years of the Trump administration.

Minnesota races heat up as record voter turnout expected ahead of Election Day

“I think the war against Iran was a big mistake,” Wiesenborn said. “All of the things to undo efforts for more clean energy, more environmental protections. Those are some of the things I really care about.”

For Ritchie Sellden, who said he has sometimes voted for Democrats in the past, the driving issue was fraud and government accountability. He said the state government needs a shakeup because of how it handled fraud, questioning why taxpayers should fund a system where money disappears without reimbursement.

“Why should I pay taxes to people that are going to let the money spill out, and we lost it now,” Sellden said. “Now, who’s going to reimburse that? People that are in there now had their chances. They goofed up. Time to get rid of them.”

Michael Benson, 66, a retired social studies teacher who also voted at St. Francis de Sales, brought a focus on education and immigration, saying he wants to see immigrant students treated fairly.

Minneapolis shattered its early voting record with more than 75,000 ballots cast, while Clay County saw early ballots rise from roughly 6,000 in 2022 to over 9,000 this year.

Earlier coverage: Minnesota Records Historic Early Voting Turnout Ahead of Election Day