30% of registered voters voted early in Minneapolis as access increases nationwide

For the first time in 2024, polling places in every Minnesota county must be open on the two Saturdays and one Sunday before Election Day in statewide election years.

For several voters in Minneapolis, going to the polls over the weekend was a first.

“NO. No, I never voted on a Sunday,” Charles Coleman said after casting his vote.

“No, actually I was still in college the last election, so I had a mail-in ballot sent to me and voted from my college bedroom,” Lydia Prior said.

“I think there’s something really special about going out and voting in person,” she added.

“I work six days a week, so Sunday is perfect,” Andre Wylie said.

Wylie said he always has to vote “very early” before work on Election Day, but was grateful for the opportunity to vote in person on a day off.

“I feel like it's more validation, you know, and it gives me more strength personally. And then as far as lineage goes, I feel like we fought for this, so I think it's only right,” Wylie shared.

Katie Smith, director of elections and voter services in Minneapolis, said that, excluding the unique pandemic election of 2020, the number of ballots cast before Election Day in the city this year has exceeded the number in previous presidential elections.

“Over 75,000 people have already voted in this general election,” Smith said. “So far, this corresponds to a voter turnout of around 30% of currently registered voters.

Based on the numbers she provided Friday afternoon compared to Sunday, nearly 10,000 of those ballots were cast over the weekend.

Statewide, Minnesota already had the highest voter turnout in the country at 80%, said David Schultz, a political science professor at Hamline University, adding that it could be even higher this year.

“The question now will be: With all of these new, expanded voting options that have actually existed, even for four years, can we actually exceed the 80 percent mark?” said Schultz. “We haven’t done that yet, but we’re getting very close.”

Schultz said the last decade has shown a trend toward more choice, and he says that as a result, more women – especially working mothers – have turned out in droves.

“We have moved from a situation where men make up the majority of voters to one where women now make up about 54% of the electorate nationally. “So this has brought enormous benefits to women in very, very important ways,” he said.

The same early voting sites in Minneapolis will also be open until 5 p.m. on Monday, which is also required in every county under the new law. View statewide locations by county here.

Smith also pointed out that as of Sunday it will likely be too late to send an absentee ballot in the mail. Instead, take it to a mail-in ballot drop-off location before the polls close on Election Day to ensure it is counted, she said.