SAINT PAUL - On November 21, Secretary of State Steve Simon convened the State Canvassing Board to certify the results of the 2024 General Election. The board certified the election results of contests for President and Vice-President, U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives for Minnesota, in addition to judicial and state legislative offices.
In the 2024 General Election, 3,272,414 Minnesotans cast ballots, which is 76.35% of eligible voter population. Minnesota is currently leading the nation in voter turnout. The number of eligible voters increased in 2023 when voting rights were restored for more than 55,000 Minnesotans who have left prison behind.
“Once again, Minnesotans have proven that we are the state to beat when it comes to voter turnout," said Secretary Simon. “Elections truly are a team sport, and we are grateful for every Minnesotan who participated in this year’s election by voting or serving as an election judge.”
Download photos from the State Canvassing Board meeting.
A total of 1,304,018 voters cast an absentee or mail-in ballot, which is 39.84% of the total votes cast. This is an increase from 22.8% of votes cast by absentee or mail-in ballot in the 2016 General Election. The record for absentee voting was set in 2020 at 58% during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recounts
In addition to certifying election results, the canvassing board approved the contingent plan for a discretionary recount in House District 14B, which contains parts of Benton, Sherburne, and Stearns counties. A recount has been requested for three precincts in Sherburne County. As this contest took place in more than one county, it will be overseen by the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, with the Sherburne County Auditor serving as the Deputy Recount Official. The recount will begin on November 25 at 10 a.m. in Sherburne County. After the three precincts are recounted, the losing candidate may choose to waive the remainder of the recount or continue with a full recount of all precincts in the district at the candidate’s expense.
A recount was also requested in House District 54A. That recount is publicly funded as the results were within the limits defined by statute. Since the entire district is within Scott County, the county conducted a recount of this contest on November 21. Those results will be certified by the Scott County Canvassing Board on November 25.
The State Canvassing Board will reconvene after all recounts are complete.
Post-Election Performance Reviews
During the meeting, the canvassing board randomly selected four precincts from each of Minnesota’s eight congressional districts to conduct post-election performance reviews. During these reviews, the Office of the Secretary of State reviews the precinct’s materials including evaluating the forms provided at the precinct, the training provided to election judges, verifying the acceptance process of absentee ballots and more.
About the State Canvassing Board
The State Canvassing Board is called pursuant to Article VII, Section 8 of the Constitution of the State of Minnesota, which states, “The returns of every election for officeholders elected statewide shall be made to the secretary of state who shall call to his assistance two or more of the judges of the supreme court and two disinterested judges of the district courts. They shall constitute a board of canvassers to canvass the returns and declare the result within three days after the canvass.”
Secretary of State Simon extended his thanks to the Justices and Judges who agreed to serve on this canvassing board to certify the election results: Gordon L. Moore III, Associate Justice, Minnesota Supreme Court; Sarah E. Hennesy, Associate Justice, Minnesota Supreme Court; Jeannice M. Reding, Judge, Fourth Judicial District Court; and, Juan G. Hoyos, Judge, Fourth Judicial District Court.