Minnesota Reports Record Early Voting for August 11 Primary

Minnesota held primary elections on August 11, 2026, to determine candidates for the November 3 general election. Steve Simon, the Secretary of State, reported a record turnout for a non-presidential primary year, with 206,196 accepted absentee and mail ballots cast. Simon attributed the surge to several hot races on the ballot, including a three-way Republican primary for governor and a Democratic-Farmer-Labor primary for U.S. Senate.

To ensure election security, the United States Department of Justice stationed federal observers at polling places in Hennepin and Ramsey counties. In an unusual coordination to maintain transparency and address public anxiety regarding federal activity near polling sites, the Office of the Minnesota Attorney General deployed its own observers to monitor the federal employees.

State officials also addressed cybersecurity readiness. Election security navigator Bill Ekblad confirmed that state officials are prepared for threats and stated there was no known overlap between recent water-related cyber activity and state election systems. Other contested races include eleven legislative incumbents facing intra-party challenges and a nonpartisan race for Hennepin County attorney.