Kare11
Presidential sweepstakes arrives in Minnesota with early vote
Early voting began Friday for the state’s March 5 presidential preference primary election.
MINNEAPOLIS — Your chance to decide your party’s presidential nominee is now officially underway.
Early absentee voting began Friday in person and by mail for Minnesota’s 2024 Presidential Primary. Voters were already dropping into the Minneapolis Elections Center and other early voting centers across the state to get a head start on the March 5 election.
It’s only the second time in modern history Minnesota has had real presidential preference primary, as opposed to a straw poll of a much smaller set of party activists on precinct caucuses night. On Super Tuesday, the North Star State will join 13 other states in primaries that very likely will decide the major party nominees.
The elections are run by cities and counties, but done on behalf of the major parties. The results will determine how many delegates, if any, each candidate will have at the national conventions this summer.
Minnesota Republican Party Chair David Hann said GOP turnout was suppressed in 2020 because then-President Donald Trump was an incumbent running virtually unopposed. He predicts this time around will be a different story.
“We don’t have as many candidates on our ballot as the Democrats did in 2020, but we have a few and I think there’s high interest in it. So, we do think they’ll be significant turnout,” Hann told KARE.
“And we are working with our local party units and encouraging them to try to go out, talk to voters in their district, reach out and encourage people to participate.”
DFL Chair Ken Martin said even if the Democratic president race isn’t as competitive as last time he still expects his fellow Democrats to come out and be heard.
“The biggest piece of this we wanted to do is just to encourage people to vote, participate, regardless of your political party, your persuasion, your candidate of choice,” Martin told KARE.
“It’s an amazing opportunity to have your voice heard early in this process and to help shape the contours of this upcoming really critical presidential race.”
Unlike a regular election, you’ll have to choose one of the major party’s ballot — Republican, Democrat or Legal Marijuana Now. Your vote will remain anonymous, but your party of choice will shared with the leader of that party.
The reasoning is that this presidential primary replaced the straw polls conducted at precinct causes, where people had to sign in to participate. Those caucuses remain a major recruiting opportunity for the parties.
“The reason these lists are provided to each party is, one, to comply with our national party rules, and, two, to allow each party to take those names and then reach out to those folks who voted in the presidential primary and ask them to get involved and volunteer with their local party,” Martin explained.
Hann agreed that getting a list of voters who picked the Republican ballot is essential to the existence of the party.
“When we did straw balloting at caucuses in prior years that’s really what it was,” Hann explained. “The party got the information about who showed up and who voted, and we identified names and so forth. So, it’s consistent with that process and I think that’s how it should be.”
The parties will still hold precinct caucuses on Feb. 27. Those events are the first step for those who want to become delegates to the state and national conventions. Some of the delegates are awarded based on results within congressional districts, and some are based on the statewide total.
Some people may still be uncomfortable with that the parties knowing which ballot they selected in the primary. Minnesota is one of 18 states where voters don’t register by party.
“That’s just a cultural thing for us,” Secretary of State Steve Simon told reporters Thursday.
“Minnesotans are not used to signing government documents or disclosing to the government their political affiliation. Other states are. In 32 states they’re fine with that. But our political culture in Minnesota people are reticent about that.”
A lot can change between now and March 5. If you cast an early vote for a candidate who leaves the race before election day, you have an opportunity to retrieve your ballot and ask for a new one. For the March 5 presidential primary, you’ll have until Feb. 15 to “claw back” your first absentee ballot and vote for someone else.
“If they’ve changed their mind for any reason — one of the reasons is if their candidate drops out of the race, which is kind of hazard in a contest like this as opposed to a general election,” Simon remarked.
“It’s more likely in a general election to be a chance of heart not someone dropping out of the race.”
Watch the latest political coverage from the Land of 10,000 Lakes in our YouTube playlist:
Last week, prosecutors charged John Sawchak with attempted 2nd-degree murder and other felony charges after he allegedly shot his neighbor Davis Moturi.
MINNEAPOLIS — Following the shooting between two neighbors, the Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously to request that the city’s auditor conduct an independent investigation into the incidents and cases between Davis Moturi and John Sawchak.
Moturi was allegedly shot by his neighbor, Sawchak, on Wednesday, Oct. 23 but Minneapolis police did not arrest Sawchak until days later.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara defended not arresting Sawchak sooner, calling it a “high-risk” situation. O’Hara later said the victim, who had complained about harassment from Sawchak for months, was failed by police. Sawchak was arrested this past weekend after an hours-long standoff.
Moturi suffered a fractured spine, two broken ribs, and a concussion in the shooting. “Mr. Moturi’s life matters and I’m sorry that for nearly a year, MPD did not treat it like it did,” said Council Member Robin Wonsley in a news release, “Today’s vote affirms that the City Council is committed to taking meaningful actions towards accountability and restoration, starting with this independent review.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey released this statement:
“Mayor Frey fully supports an independent review of this incident. The mayor and City are committed to always doing better, and this means closely examining past actions and finding where there may be ways to improve and grow. The mayor extends his condolences to Davis Moturi, his wife, Caroline, and their family and friends. The safety of our residents is a top priority and any form of violence or hate speech is completely unacceptable and does not align with who we are as a community. Brian O’Hara will continue to be the Minneapolis Police Chief.”
“This Valentine’s Day, 2025, will mark the five-year anniversary of the premiere of ‘Love is Blind,” Vanessa said on the Season 7 finale. “And, it is gonna be the launch of Season 8, which takes place in Minneapolis.”
The episode also revealed three of the new cast members, one of whom, “Alex,” told Lachey Minneapolis is “not like a major city, but it’s also not a small town,” which he said is just one of the obstacles in his way of finding the one.
“I just never found the right person that clicked for me,” he said.
Meantime, you can bone up on Seasons 1-7 streaming now on Netflix.
MINNEAPOLIS — How much do you know about your grandma’s upbringing?
“The Stories From My Grandmother’s Hands” is a book that aims to show young Black children how their grandmas lived through beautiful illustrations and descriptions.
KARE 11 News at Noon shared more on Thursday about the impact that this book will have.
