When to expect election results in Minnesota
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If 2020 is our guide, the winner of the 2024 presidential election probably won't be called on Election Day.
Yes, but: We should know which side won Minnesota's 10 electoral college votes — and the outcome of most of the rest of the state's races — before sunup on Wednesday.
The big picture: The state's ballot processing laws and deadline have historically enabled election officials to release complete results within a few hours of the polls closing, Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon says.
Case in point: In 2020, the Associated Press called Minnesota for Joe Biden at 11:13pm.
- In 2016, when the race was decided by just 45,000 votes, it was called at around 10am the next morning.
Friction point: A change in law allows voters to drop their absentee ballot off until polls close at 8pm — five hours later than the previous deadline.
- That could mean the final votes are tallied slightly later than usual, local officials cautioned last week.
The bottom line: "By the time Minnesotans are eating breakfast the next morning, they are very likely, very likely, to know total, complete results," Simon told reporters last week.
- "It's not a guarantee, but that is our record."
Go deeper: 2020 déjà vu: Why the 2024 election could take days to call