Overview
- Absentee voting opened Friday, June 26, allowing Minnesotans to vote by mail or vote in person at absentee locations 46 days before the Aug. 11 primary.
- A new in‑person early‑voting option that lets voters fill ballots and insert them into tabulators will start July 24 and run through Aug. 10.
- Both the governor’s and U.S. Senate contests are open and crowded, with leading names including Amy Klobuchar, Kendall Qualls, Peggy Flanagan, Angie Craig, Lisa Demuth and Michele Tafoya vying for nominations.
- The entire Minnesota Legislature is up for reelection and an unusually large wave of retirements — 42 of 201 lawmakers — has left multiple competitive primaries and prompted some lawmakers to cite safety concerns as a reason for leaving.
- Election officials expect higher turnout so campaigns are prioritizing early‑vote mobilization, using absentee ballot tracking tools and organized events to secure votes that could determine who advances to the August primary and influence the November general election.