Wright County Preps For Several Local Elections In 2020

From the Wright County Government:

Posted on December 6, 2019

Several Elections Coming in 2020

As the days tick down to close out 2019, the Wright County Auditor/Treasurer’s Office is preparing for what is going to be one of the busiest election cycles the county has ever experienced.

The department will oversee six different elections – some on a massive scale and others on a small scale – throughout 2020. With more than 80,000 registered voters in Wright County and one of the highest voter turnout rates in the state, there is likely going to be a record-setting number of voters heading to the polls to help determine national, state, county, city, township and school district elections.

The first two elections will involve just one precinct from one city. Due to health reasons, four-term State Representative Tim Zerwas (R-Elk River) announced that he would resign his seat effective Dec. 6. His seat, House District 30A, is primarily located in Sherburne County, but also includes Precinct 3 in the City of Otsego. As a result, two special elections will be taking place. Candidates have until 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10 to file to run for the vacant seat. There have already been multiple Republican candidates that have filed, so, on Jan. 14, there will be a special primary election for one or both parties (depending on the number of Democrat candidates who file). On Tuesday, Feb. 4, the special election between the two finalists will select the candidate to fill the seat prior to the start of the 2020 legislative session.

Another unique voting opportunity will take place Tuesday, March 3. While Minnesota is one of the few states that maintains a caucus system of determining the candidate each political party endorses (the 2020 caucuses will take place Tuesday, Feb. 25), on March 3, voters throughout the state will be asked to select a presidential nominee at the Presidential Nominating Primary (PNP). In 2016, the State Legislature passed a law reinstating the PNP (the first such primary in Minnesota since 1992). Voters will be required to select the political party of their choice and select one candidate from the list of presidential contenders. It is unclear how many voters will turn out for this election – in 1992, just 10.62 percent of registered voters turned out to the polls, but a lot has changed in 18 years, so it’s unclear what type of voter turnout will take place. The PNP results will determine Minnesota's delegates for each major party.

On Tuesday, March 10, Wright County will hold township elections and 15 of the county’s 18 townships will be electing members to their township board of supervisors and, in some instances, township clerks. The only Wright County townships that won’t have elections in 2020 are Clearwater Township, Silver Creek Township and Southside Township.

The primary election that will pare down the field of candidates for numerous federal, state and local elections will take place Tuesday, Aug. 11. In 2018, Minnesota experienced a significant jump in voters who went to the polls during the primary, credited to some high-profile state races that were contested within the political parties. 2018 saw the highest voter turnout (22.7 percent of eligible voters) since 1994 and more than double any of the previous three primary elections in the state – 9.32 percent in 2012, 10.19 percent in 2014 and 7.42 percent in 2016.

The final election of 2020 will be the one that will be gearing up in full force as 2020 rolls on – the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Offices at all levels of government will be determined, including the much-anticipated presidential election. Historically, Minnesota has one of the highest voter turnouts in the county and Wright County consistently has one the highest voter turnout rates in the state, so polling places are expected to busy throughout Election Day. Voter numbers are consistently higher in presidential election years than in non-presidential election cycles. Since 2000, Minnesota has maintained a level of more than 70 percent of potential voters casting ballots in presidential election years (70.11 percent in 2000, 78.77 percent in 2004, 78.11 percent in 2008, 76.42 percent in 2012 and 74.72 percent in 2016).

For now, it’s the quiet before the storm at the county auditor/treasurer’s office, but the planning and preparation is already well underway. With six separate elections, it is going to be one of the most expansive election seasons in county history and, by the time all is said done, both the county and the state could set new records for voter turnout as the election races heat up.

This press release was produced by the Wright County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.