Star Tribune
Everything you need to know to cast your ballot in Minnesota’s presidential primary
Minnesotans can start casting their first ballots in the 2024 presidential race on Friday, beginning with the nominating contest for the major political parties.
Early voting kicks off in Minnesota’s presidential primary election, which will be held on March 5 — Super Tuesday — along with 15 other states. The results will decide how many delegates candidates get at national conventions this summer. It’s the first of three statewide elections this year.
“There’s no question that this election year will be among the most intense in history,” Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon said. “The presidential candidates will likely inspire strong feelings, people will be passionate, and that’s OK. We are, after all, electing the most powerful person in the United States and probably the world.”
It’s only the second presidential primary in Minnesota after decades of using the caucus system. Some of the rules are different from voting in the state’s regular August primary election.
Here’s what you need to know about how it works, who will appear on the ballots and how to cast your vote early or on March 5:
Do all political parties participate in the presidential primary?
No, only those with major party status in Minnesota will participate: the DFL Party, the Republican Party and the Legal Marijuana Now Party.
Will all parties be on the same ballot like in the August primary?
No, each major party has a separate ballot in the presidential primary. You need to request the ballot for the party whose primary you wish to vote in this year.
Which candidates are on the party ballots?
The chair of each party submitted a list of candidates to the Secretary of State’s Office. For the Democratic Party, the ballot has nine candidates: President Joe Biden, Californian Eban Cambridge, software developer and Californian Gabriel Cornejo, New Yorker Frankie Lozada, Maryland entrepreneur Jason Palmer, California educator Armando “Mando” Perez-Serrato, Minnesota U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, Turkish-born political commentator Cenk Uygur and spiritual author and speaker Marianne Williamson.
The Republican ballot lists five candidates: former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former President Donald Trump.
The Legal Marijuana Now ballot also lists five candidates: Edward Forchion, Krystal Gabel, Rudy Reyes, Dennis Schuller and Vermin Supreme.
Wait, haven’t some of those candidates already dropped out of the race?
Yes, both Christie and Ramaswamy dropped out of the race in the days leading up to and immediately following the Iowa caucus, but changes cannot be made to the ballot once a party’s list is submitted. Obviously, avoid candidates on your ballot who have dropped out.
What if I vote early for a candidate who then drops out of the race?
That’s a risk, especially with Minnesota’s primary falling on Super Tuesday in the nominating calendar. The Secretary of State’s Office says voters have until close of business on Feb. 15 — 19 days before the presidential primary — to go to their local election office and vote again. Their old ballot will be discarded and only the new ballot will be processed and tabulated. Simon said some voters might want to wait to submit their absentee ballot if they’re worried their candidate could drop out of the race before March 5.
What if I want to vote for someone who’s not listed?
The Democratic, GOP and Legal Marijuana Now presidential primary ballots will have a write-in option, as well as an “uncommitted” option on the Democratic ballot.
Who can vote in the presidential primary?
Any voter registered in Minnesota can also cast a ballot in the presidential primary. Voters can register before the contest through Feb. 13, or register in-person at their polling place on March 5. Voters must be 18 or older by March 5, a resident of Minnesota and a citizen of the United States to register to vote. While individuals recently released from incarceration can now vote, those still in prison cannot.
Do I need to register as a member of a certain party?
Unlike many states, Minnesota doesn’t have party registration. However, voters must attest that they generally support the principles of a specific party in order to get that party’s ballot in the presidential primary contest. If you’re voting early by mail, you need to check a box on the absentee ballot application attesting to the party’s principles.
How do I vote in the presidential primary?
Just like the August primary election, registered voters can request an absentee ballot to vote by mail up to 46 days before the election. Voters can track their absentee ballot on the Secretary of State’s website. Cities will also have in-person early voting locations — usually a local elections office — though hours will vary from county to county.
You can also vote in-person on March 5 at your polling place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The main difference for the presidential primary is that you must request the ballot for the party of your choice. Voters who don’t select a party will not get a ballot.
Is any of my voting information public?
The chair of each major political party gets a list of voters who request their party’s ballot, data they can use to help with get-out-the-vote efforts. That’s a change from four years ago, when party chairs got the lists for all the other major parties too. The information is not posted anywhere publicly, and the candidate you select is secret.
How much will this cost, and who pays for it?
Local governments cover the costs of the presidential primary, but they are eventually reimbursed by the state. Simon’s office estimates it will cost between $12 million and $14 million to administer the March 5 election.
Will there still be precinct caucuses?
Yes, precinct caucuses to debate party platforms and select delegates to state conventions will take place in schools and community centers across the state on Feb. 27, one week before the presidential primary.
Is my ballot secure?
Yes, the state conducts machine testing and other security procedures in the presidential primary, which it does for all statewide elections.
Police said they will be releasing details Monday about the shooting death of a 23-year-old man last week in New Hope.
Carnell Mark Johnson Jr., of Bloomington, was shot in the chest Thursday in the 7300 block of Bass Lake Road and died that same day at North Memorial Health Hospital, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office said.
A police official said more information will be released about the shooting later Monday. No arrests have been announced.
The fledgling Minneapolis “safety-beyond-policing” department, which has been accused of mismanaging contracts with violence interrupters, is again under scrutiny for requesting nearly $1 million for a business owned by the sister of one of its staff members.
Unanswered questions about the Black Business Enterprises Fund and the purpose of the contract have repeatedly delayed a City Council vote on the contract.
Neighborhood Safety Director Luana Nelson-Brown came before the council’s administration oversight committee on Oct. 7 to argue for giving the business a one-year, $992,400 contract for “capacity building and compliance consulting services.” Black Business Enterprises Fund would use the money to employ a team of 17 experts to coach violence interrupters on financial literacy and how to comply with government accounting requirements.
“A good financial system allows organizations to track their spending accurately, ensuring that funds are used properly and enabling them to prepare regular reports that meet government expectations,” Nelson-Brown said. “It also streamlines invoice reimbursements, which allows us to make more timely payments, and it is necessary for audits and evaluation of program success. I also want to note that these are all things that have been identified as weaknesses.”
Nelson-Brown said the need for the contract is underscored by a lawsuit that accused the city of arbitrarily awarding millions of dollars to violence prevention groups without proper accounting, as well as the “Safe and Thriving Communities” report on building a comprehensive model of public safety. The city commissioned the Harvard University report after the murder of George Floyd in 2020.
City Council members have also been pushing for greater accountability in the Neighborhood Safety Department, particularly after a whistleblower complaint shared with council members this year questioned the relationships between contract recipients and department staff. One of the whistleblower’s claims had to do with Black Business Enterprises Fund owner Nancy Korsah, and her sister, Neighborhood Safety Department staffer Georgia Korsah.
On Oct. 7, council members asked Nelson-Brown about that relationship, whether the business had experience working with nonprofits — particularly those that provide violence prevention services — and whether it is an organization capable of helping others build theirs.
Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw said she wasn’t aware of what the Black Business Enterprises Fund had done besides “having a gala.” Council Member Jeremiah Ellison said a review of the organization’s website raised a “red flag.”
A motorcyclist set off a three-vehicle crash on a central Minnesota highway and was killed, officials said Monday.
The wreck occurred about 10:40 p.m. Sunday north of Royalton on Hwy. 10, the State Patrol said.
The motorcyclist was heading east on Hwy. 10 and struck a fish house being pulled by a pickup truck driver. The motorcyclist, a 27-year-old man from Sauk Rapids, Minn., was thrown from his bike and struck a median pillar.
A car heading in the same direction hit the motorcycle.
Occupying the pickup were a 46-year-old driver from Rice, Minn., and a 43-year-old passenger, also from Rice. The car’s driver, a 34-year-old woman from Cobalt, was her vehicle’s only occupant.
Identities of all the people involved in the crash have yet to be released, and there is no word yet on whether anyone was injured other than the motorcyclist.
