Minnesota's vote-counting rules, timeline explained
(FOX 9) - With Election Day just over a week away, FOX 9 is looking at how Minnesota counts its votes.
When does Minnesota count absentee ballots?
Both absentee and mail-in ballots can be counted in Minnesota before Election Day – but results are not allowed to be released until after polls close on Election Day. If your ballot is rejected, you will be notified by election officials.
When received, absentee ballots are checked to ensure they are correct and valid. They are set aside until 18 days before the election. At that point, the ballots are allowed to be entered into a ballot counter. Election officials maintain a database to ensure there are no duplicate votes.
When do results come in?
Unofficial results are available starting shortly after polls close on Election Day and reporting continues into the night.
As always, FOX 9 will have live, updating results as soon as polls close on Election Day.
Once unofficial results are reported, certification begins in the ensuing days.
How does Minnesota ensure people don't vote twice?
All absentee ballots are tracked individually and linked to a voter database. Once an absentee ballot is accepted, it is marked in the database, which election officials or election judges are able to view and will show if a person has an accepted ballot.
Voter rosters are updated regularly through Election Day.
What ballot counters does Minnesota use?
All of Minnesota's voting machines are "optical scan" – meaning they scan the ballot and return results based on bubbles filled in on the ballot.
The state uses the following machines:
- Dominion ImageCast Central (central count)
- Dominion ImageCast Evolution (polling place)
- ES&S Digital Scan 200 (polling place & central count)
- ES&S Digital Scan 450 (central count)
- ES&S Digital Scan 850 (central count)
- ES&S Digital Scan 950 (central count)
- Hart Verity Central (central count)
- Hart Verity Scan (polling place)
Voting machines have been proven to be far more accurate than hand counts of ballots.
Are non-citizens able to vote?
Despite what you might hear or read online, Minnesota has systems in place to ensure voters are eligible citizens.
Starting this year, Minnesota began using automatic voter registration – which means Minnesotans are registered to vote when they apply for or renew their driver's license.
During this process, the Department of Public Safety verifies citizenship-affirming documents (like birth certificates, passports, or certificates of naturalization) before sending information to the Secretary of State's Office – which handles voting registration.
When is early voting in Minnesota?
Early voting has been underway in the state since Friday, Sept. 20. You can cast an early ballot anytime between now and Monday, Nov. 4 (the day before Election Day).
To find where you can vote early in your county, you can click here.
Election Day is Nov. 5, Find your polling location by clicking here.
After Election Day
Vote counts are considered unofficial until they are certified by a canvassing board. Boards meet at the county and state level and their meetings are open to the public.
The canvassing boards check the results and ensure that the results were correctly entered in. The county boards are made up of local officials.
If the race is close, candidates can request a recount. If the victory margin is less than 0.25 percent. Otherwise, a candidate can request a "discretionary" recount which they are required to pay for themselves and are limited to contesting the results in three precincts.
During a recount, a candidate or their representative can challenge individual ballots. Challenged ballots are then reviewed by the canvassing board.
Aside from recounts, the state requires a post-election review for federal (presidential, Senate, and House) races. As part of this process, ballots are hand counted and compared against the results of the ballot counters.