Minnesota voters can expect to see federal election monitors in the state Tuesday, but local polling places will not allow them inside.
100 feet - that's how far the federal monitors must stay away from a polling place.
"These monitors may talk to voters, but only after they have voted," Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon says. "So, they can talk to a voter who's on their way out from having voted. They cannot talk to a voter who's on their way in to vote.
Simon says there is nothing illegal about monitors being in the area, but says they will still be watching to make sure they follow federal and state election laws.
"So, out of an abundance of caution, we're working with the Minnesota Attorney General's office to monitor the monitors as we did during the primary," Simon explains. "And just make sure, as they did during the primary, that they're abiding by all relevant laws."
He says all of this is to allow voters to have confidence that elections are safe, secure, and fair.
Minnesota has been at the center of a political maelstrom in President Donald Trump’s second term, as the Republican president has focused much of his ire on Minnesota and its Democratic leaders.
Simon is also up for reelection. He's being challenged by Republican Tade Jude. Read more about that race here.
Here's what to know about the election in Minnesota:
When do polls close?
Polls close at 8 p.m. CT, which is 9 p.m. ET.
What’s on the ballot?
The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor, secretary of state, auditor, attorney general, state Senate, state House and a statewide ballot measure.
How many people actually vote?
About 2.5 million votes were cast in Minnesota's 2022 election for governor.
How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?
About 27% of the vote in the 2022 gubernatorial election was cast early in person or by mail.
The latest advance vote totals for Minnesota can be found in the AP’s advance vote tracker.
When are early and absentee votes released?
Counties are expected to release results from early in-person and mail voting throughout the night, along with results from in-person Election Day voting. The first vote reports of the night are expected to include results from all vote types.
Hennepin County, the state's most populous, expects to release complete results from all vote types in the first vote update. Ramsey and Dakota counties are expected to release relatively few results in their first vote updates, regardless of vote type.
How long does vote-counting usually take?
In the 2024 general election, the AP first reported results at 9:08 p.m. ET, or eight minutes after polls closed. The vote count reached the halfway point at 11:40 p.m. ET. The last vote update of the night was at 5:19 a.m. ET Wednesday morning with more than 99% of total votes counted.
When will the AP declare a winner?
The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.
How do recounts work?
Recounts in Minnesota are not automatic, but the losing candidate may request one under certain circumstances. A publicly funded recount can be requested in federal, judicial or state constitutional offices, like governor, if the margin between the winning and losing candidate is less than 0.25% of the vote. For state legislative races, the required margin is less than 0.5% of the vote. In races in which fewer than 400 votes are cast, the margin is 10 votes or fewer. Candidates may pay for a recount in races in which the vote margin is beyond the threshold for a publicly funded recount. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.
