Who’s on the ballot in Minnesota? A guide to governor, Senate and other statewide races

Early voting is underway in the general election, when Minnesota voters will select a new governor, a new U.S. senator and at least one new member of Congress.

Voters can cast their ballots in person or by mail, or vote in person on Election Day, which is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Below, Sahan Journal takes a look at key races on the ballot, and what to know about how to vote in them. 

High-stakes race for governor

Longtime U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar is running on the Democratic Farmer-Labor Party side against Republican and current state House Speaker Lisa Demuth. 

As of late September, Klobuchar has led Demuth in most polling and has raised four times as much money. But Demuth is hoping one issue can erase Klobuchar’s advantage: the numerous government fraud scandals that happened under DFL Gov. Tim Walz.

The state’s fraud scandals prompted Walz to drop his bid for a third term in January. But that happened as President Donald Trump’s Operation Metro Surge was at its height, with immigration agents killing two people, and widespread racial profiling of residents.

Klobuchar easily won the DFL nomination in August’s primary, and Demuth surprised some by handily beating MyPillow CEO and founder Mike Lindell, who earned Trump’s endorsement. 

Green Party candidate Steven Young is also running for this seat. 

Open U.S. Senate seat

Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan won an expensive and hard-fought primary against outgoing Rep. Angie Craig last August by 20 points, a wider margin than polls had suggested.

She is facing former NBC sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya, who easily won her primary against Republican Party-endorsed candidate Adam Schwarze. 

Polls so far suggest a close race, with Flanagan leading by under 5% in all of them. As of July, the most recent date of campaign finance reporting, Flanagan had raised $6.5 million to Tafoya’s $5.2 million. 

Also running for the seat are Libertarian Party candidate Rebecca Whiting and independent candidate Marisa Simonetti. Simonetti unsuccessfully ran for Hennepin County Board in 2024. She was also sued that year for throwing a tarantula at her tenant. 

U.S. House: Voters to choose new representative in District 2

Voters will choose a new member of Congress to represent the south metro area after Craig’s retirement left an open seat. DFLer Matt Little, a former state senator and mayor of Lakeville, faces state Sen. Eric Pratt, the Republican candidate. 

Little is running his campaign on a progressive platform, a contrast to the more moderate Craig, who first won election to the seat in 2018 after nearly two decades of Republican dominance. 

Attorney general, secretary of state, state auditor and Hennepin County attorney on the ballot

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is running for a third term against Republican attorney Ron Schutz. Ellison, a DFLer, is making his opposition to the Trump administration, consumer protection and affordability his priorities, while Schutz is emphasizing fighting fraud and crime and pushing for consumer protection. 

Secretary of State Steve Simon is running for a fourth term in the post overseeing Minnesota’s elections. The DFLer faces Republican Tad Jude.

Voters will elect a new state auditor after Julie Blaha decided not to run for reelection. DFL candidate Zack Filipovich faces former GOP state Sen. Scott Jensen, who also ran for governor in 2022. 

In the Legislature, the DFL’s one-seat advantage in the Senate and a 67-67 tie in the House also hang in the balance. 

Hennepin County voters will also select a new county attorney. This race is technically nonpartisan, although both candidates – current state Rep. Cedrick Frazier and former Minnesota interim U.S. Attorney Anders Folk – identify as DFLers. 

Who can vote

• Voters must be 18 or older and must have lived in Minnesota for at least 20 days. 

How to register to vote

• Register online to vote by clicking here. You’ll need to provide your driver’s license number, a Minnesota ID number or the last four digits of your social security number. You’ll also need to provide an email address. 
• The deadline to register online is Tuesday, Oct. 13, by 11:59 p.m. 
• Alternatively, you can register in person at your polling place during early voting or on Election Day. To register on the same day you vote, you’ll need to bring a photo ID with your current address, or an older ID and a utility bill, lease or rent statement with your name and current address on it. If you don’t have these, you can register by bringing a registered voter from your precinct who can sign an oath affirming your current address.  

How to vote early in person

• Early voting is already under way.
• You can vote early in person by filling out an absentee ballot at a designated polling place up until Election Day.
• Visit the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website and click on the county you live in, which will list polling place locations and hours where you can vote early. 

How to vote early by mail

• If you want to vote by mail, you must apply for an absentee ballot at the Secretary of State’s website. 
• The Secretary of State recommends that you apply on or before Oct. 30. 
• Once you’ve applied for an absentee ballot, you can track it here.
• Once you receive and complete a mailed ballot, you must have a witness or a notary sign it for your vote to count. The witness must be 18 or older and a U.S. citizen. 
• Your ballot can be returned by mail or in person at a polling place. 
• The Secretary of State suggests that you mail in your completed ballot a few days before Election Day, Nov. 3. Otherwise, you can drop it off at a polling place on Election Day. 

How to vote in person on Election Day, Nov. 3

• Most polling places open on Election Day at 7 or 8 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.
• You can find your polling place by entering your address here on the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website.
• Minnesota law gives you the right to vote during work hours on Election Day. 
• Your employer must compensate you for the time if you vote during work hours, and cannot require you to use vacation or personal leave time.
• The Minnesota Secretary of State has drafted a letter you can provide to your employer about your right to vote during the work day.
• You can vote after polls close as long as you’re in line by 8 p.m.

The post Who’s on the ballot in Minnesota? A guide to governor, Senate and other statewide races appeared first on Sahan Journal.

Originally reported by Sahan Journal by Joey Peters. Read the full story at the source.