Amid pandemic, Minnesota secretary of state says to expect election result delays
[KSTP-TV]
With Tuesday’s state primary election quickly approaching, Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon says delays in reporting results are expected, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Simon, a significant increase in absentee ballot submissions is expected. He said, "Processing, storing, and tabulating a significantly greater number of mailed-in ballots … presents an incredible challenge to local governments and our office."
Previously, Minnesota absentee voters were required to make sure their ballots were received by Election Day. Now, they must be postmarked by Election Day and may be accepted two days after the election, in the case of Tuesday’s primary, or seven days after the election, in the case of the November general election.
Meanwhile, Simon said, for the primary, the state legislature granted 48 hours of relief after Election Day to allow election officials more time to count ballots.
As a result, Simon said Minnesotans will likely not see complete results on election night in 2020. He added, results will be updated as the Secretary of State’s Office receives them, and that "it may be difficult to infer the results of specific races until ballots are fully counted."
What Minnesotans can expect to learn on the night of the primary is:
- The final number of absentee ballots voters requested
- How many absentee ballots have been returned thus far
- How many people voted in person at polling places