Early Voting By Mail At Record High In Minnesota

MINNESOTA — Minnesota continues to see a record high number of voters cast ballots by mail this election cycle. State election officials are encouraging residents to vote early due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As of Friday, 1,321,864 Minnesotans have applied to vote from home. More than 600,000 of those ballots have already been submitted and accepted.

At this point in 2016, just 281,532 people had applied to vote by mail, according to Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon.

Early voting is especially high in Minneapolis, where the total number of absentee ballots collected so far — included both in-person early voting and voting by mail — has surpassed the total number of absentee ballots cast in 2016.

In 2016, 60,536 absentee ballots were cast in Minneapolis. This year, the city has already accepted 63,853 absentee ballots, according to election officials.

Request an absentee ballot

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon is asking all eligible Minnesota voters to apply for their absentee ballots using the online absentee ballot request tool.

"We need to treat the upcoming statewide elections as a public health issue," Simon said in a statement.

"To slow the spread of COVID-19 we need to reduce large gatherings, including at polling places. I'm challenging all eligible Minnesota voters to cast their vote from the safety of their home. In the face of this pandemic, it is the right thing to do to protect Minnesotans who are most at risk - and the people who care for them. Fortunately, it's very easy to do."