Early signs of strong turnout as Minnesotans head to polls Tuesday, secretary of state says
Minnesotans are heading to the polls on Tuesday to cast their ballots in local elections across the state. From mayoral and city council races to school board seats and special elections, voters have some big decisions.
Early Tuesday morning, Secretary of State Steve Simon visited his alma mater, Alice Smith Elementary School in Hopkins, to vote and give an update on how the day was going. He said election operations were running smoothly and that early signs point to a strong turnout, especially in Minneapolis and St. Paul, where competitive mayoral races are underway.
For many Minnesotans, Simon said, local races like these are where democracy feels closest to home.
"These local elections are very important. They very often impact our lives more directly than any other kind of election, including national elections," Simon said. "The people that we elect or reelect today, where we have elections in Minnesota, will make decisions about how our kids are taught, how our streets are plowed, how we guarantee public safety and the like."
Simon reminded voters that polls are open until 8 p.m. across Minnesota. Anyone in line by 8 p.m. will still be allowed to vote. Voters can find information on their polling location, registration status, sample ballot and more in WCCO's election guide.
He also said Minnesota's reputation as a national leader in voter participation appears to be holding strong.
"Minnesota is a voting champion. We vote at sky-high numbers. We are usually No. 1 in the country," he said. "And while it's true that in municipal elections, it's tougher to track turnout. We know that Minnesotans are champions when it comes to voting, and we've already gotten feelers today and intel today that turnout seems to be very high."
In Minneapolis, voters like Rex Gould and Travis Hayes cast their ballots as soon as their polling place opened at 7 a.m. The pair said they wanted to make their voices heard in races they believe directly affect their communities.
"We wanted to get it done, get our ballots in, have our voices heard," Gould said.
Hayes agreed, adding that local races often shape everyday life.
"Your mayor is your local president, right? And it's like we can make that change, just like our governor, our mayor, our city council, all of it is just as important," Hayes said. "And they actually impact our day-to-day more than we think that they do."
Hayes said issues such as homelessness and housing affordability were top of mind when he cast his ballot.
Simon reported no major issues or disruptions at polling sites on Tuesday morning.
Unofficial election results will begin posting after polls close at 8 p.m. WCCO News will provide live results online from every race in the state, including dozens of school referendums.