Minnesota voters will have an important decision to make on Election Day regarding how to allocate the state’s 10 presidential electoral votes, including the potential promotion of their governor to the vice presidency.

The landscape for the 2024 presidential race in Minnesota shifted when Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris selected two-term Governor Tim Walz as her running mate, steering the state back towards a more secure position for Democrats. During his previous runs for the presidency, former President Donald Trump came close to winning Minnesota, falling short by just 1.5 percentage points in 2016. He achieved victories in other midwestern states like Wisconsin and Michigan.

This year, Trump expressed confidence about reclaiming Minnesota, with campaign visits to St. Paul and St. Cloud occurring shortly after President Joe Biden exited the race. Since Walz’s announcement as Harris’s running mate, Trump has not returned to the state.

Minnesota has a long-standing tradition of supporting Democratic presidential candidates. Over the past 92 years, dating back to Franklin Roosevelt’s 1932 run, the state has only backed two Republican candidates: Dwight Eisenhower in the 1950s and Richard Nixon in 1972.

On the state legislative front, voters will determine which political party will control both chambers. Democrats had a narrow majority in the state Senate until a recent resignation. Assistant Majority Leader Kelly Morrison stepped down in June to focus on her campaign for the 3rd Congressional District, leaving the Senate split evenly with 33 seats for each party.

A special election to fill Morrison’s seat in Hennepin County will feature Democrat Ann Johnson Stewart against Republican Kathleen Fowke. Johnson Stewart, a civil engineer and former state senator elected in 2020, finds herself running in a newly configured district after redistricting affected her previous representation. Fowke, who previously ran for the same seat in 2022, garnered 44% of the votes against Morrison’s 56%. The outcome of this election could prove pivotal in determining control of the Senate.

In the state House, Republicans are eyeing a net gain of just a few seats to regain control. All 134 House seats are contested this November, with around two dozen swing districts identified as vulnerable to party shifts, according to an analysis from Minnesota Star Tribune.

Both national Republican and Democratic state campaign committees have prioritized winning control of the Minnesota Legislature ahead of the 2024 elections.

Alongside Minnesota’s local elections, federal races will also have implications for control of the U.S. Senate and House, although Minnesota races are not anticipated to dramatically alter party control in either chamber. Democratic incumbent Amy Klobuchar is aiming for a fourth term against Republican Royce White in the Senate race. The U.S. House will see Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips stepping aside, with the state’s eight-member delegation currently evenly split between parties, making significant shifts unlikely.

Additionally, voters will weigh in on a nonpartisan state Supreme Court race and a measure concerning an environmental trust fund.

In the 2022 general election, approximately 27% of ballots were cast by mail, with the condition that they arrive by Election Day to be counted. The first set of votes in Minnesota is traditionally reported shortly after polls close at 9 p.m. ET, and these initial results usually include a mix of early in-person, mail-in, and Election Day votes.

Here’s what to expect in the November 2024 elections in Minnesota:
Election Day: November 5.
Poll closing time: 9 p.m. ET.
Presidential electoral votes: 10 awarded to the statewide winner.
Key races and candidates: President: Harris (D) vs. Trump (R) vs. Chase Oliver (Libertarian) vs. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (We the People) vs. Jill Stein (Green) vs. Cornel West (Justice for All) and others.
U.S. Senate: Amy Klobuchar (D) vs. Royce White (R) and others.
Other races of interest: U.S. House, state House, state Supreme Court, and one ballot measure.

Looking back at past presidential results: 2020 showed Biden (D) at 53% and Trump (R) at 45%.
For voter registration and turnout: as of October 1, 2024, registered voters numbered 3,660,001, with a notable turnout of 85% in the 2020 presidential election.
For pre-Election Day voting: Approximately 58% of votes were cast before Election Day in 2020, contrasting with around 27% in 2022.

Finally, the process of calculating votes will begin promptly, with the first votes reported by 9:08 p.m. ET on November 3, 2020, and approximately 66% of total votes reported by midnight ET.