MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — Early voting has wrapped up ahead of Election Day on Tuesday. While many wait until Election Day to vote, some prefer early voting which starts 46 days before an election.
As of Sunday night, nearly 12,500 people had already voted in Minneapolis. That's about 5% of the city's voters, according to the city's early voting dashboard.
Katie Smith, director of elections and voter services for the city of Minneapolis, said early voting is down by about 50% compared to the last municipal election in 2021.
"Each election is unique. The 2021 municipal we also had some ballot questions and things on there so that really drove turnout," Smith explained.
But Smith said early voting turnout is still a little bit ahead of the 2017 municipal election.
"This year it is council only and it's council for a two-year term. So when people come out to vote, they will see the one race on their ballot for their council member," Smith said.
Two years ago, with Mayor Jacob Frey running for re-election and major ballot questions hanging in the balance, roughly 54 percent of registered voters in Minneapolis went to the polls. However, with only the council on the ballot this year, the city may struggle to reach that number.
"I'm a teacher and so education is important to me," said Jurgen Dovre, 24, who lives in the Seward neighborhood. This is Dovre's first time voting in a Minneapolis election after moving here from Iowa. "I just thought early voting was a convenient way to do it and not have to deal with the lines."
Smith said overall they have seen early voting trend upwards since no-excuse absentee voting was implemented in 2014.
According to the city's early voting dashboard, the most early votes are coming from Ward 6 with more than 3,000 early voters. Incumbent Jamal Osman faces three challengers: Tiger Worku and Kayseh Magan on the DFL side and Guy T Gaskin who is running under the Republican party.
In Ramsey County, a spokesperson told KARE 11 turnout for absentee voting is trending slightly lower than past municipal elections. In St. Paul, as of the end of day Saturday, more than 4,900 absentee ballots were accepted. For comparison, there were about 6,700 absentee ballots accepted in total in for the 2021 municipal election.
The city of St. Paul contracts with Ramsey County for election services. Ramsey County voters can find more information for voting on Election Day, here.
Minneapolis voters can find more information on the 2023 municipal election, here. A Hennepin County voter guide can be found, here.
Polling places are usually open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day but some may open later depending on their location. As long as you are in line by 8 p.m., you can vote.
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