More than 500K Minnesotans have cast an early ballot, SOS data shows
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More than a half million Minnesotans have already cast a ballot ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential election — putting the state on track to surpass 2016 levels.
The big picture: Voting has started in much of the country, and 18 million Americans have already made their choice, CNN reports.
State of play: 565,909 ballots had been cast as of Thursday, per the secretary of state, with Election Day 11 days out. Early voting began Sept. 20.
- The total is already closing in on the 676,722 voters who cast their ballot early in 2016, the first presidential election in which the option was widely available.
- In 2020, a record 1.9 million residents voted early in person or by mail amid the pandemic.
The catch: Minnesota doesn't have political party registration, so it's more difficult to assess the political leanings of those turning out so far.
Between the lines: Even in states with party registration, experts caution that it's hard to draw conclusions about which side benefits from the surge in interest, especially since most votes are typically cast on Election Day.
- But some of the data points to an uptick among early Republican voters in swing states, following efforts by local GOP officials to persuade their base to use the option that their own nominee has cast doubt on, the New York Times reports.
How it works: Any eligible voter in Minnesota can vote early in person or by mail.
- In addition to the regular early vote locations, officials in at least a dozen communities are hosting "pop-up" sites under a new state law this year, per the Star Tribune.
Zoom in: Mail ballots must arrive by Election Day, so officials encourage Minnesotans voting that way to mail back their ballots as soon as possible.
- Alternatively, voters can return their completed mail ballot in person at the office that mailed it to them, or opt to cast a fresh ballot at an early or Election Day polling place instead.
What we're watching: The secretary of state has already received more than 860,000 absentee ballot applications, signaling that the numbers will only continue to rise before Nov. 5.
Go deeper with our Minnesota voter guide.