Minnesota hits new primary election low
Minnesota’s primary election turnout wasn’t just low. It was historically low.
Unofficial estimates show about 280,000 people went to the polls Tuesday, according to Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon.
That’s roughly 7 percent of the state’s 3.9 million eligible voters, and the lowest percentage on record since 1950. The only primary with a lower number of votes during that same time frame was 279,132 in 2004, when 7.73 percent of eligible voters turned out.
Simon said the results were disappointing. But he said a big factor this year was the lack of statewide races.
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“There was only one election. It was a nonpartisan judicial contest for supreme court, and typically that isn’t a real motivator for most folks,” Simon said. “What does motivate people are closely contested or otherwise statewide elections for partisan offices like governor, U.S. Senator, the constitutional officers, and there were none of those this year.”
Simon believes holding the primary in August is also a factor.
Minnesota lawmakers decided six years ago to move the primary from September to August. Simon thinks this year’s low turnout could help efforts to switch to a June primary, which he supports.
“August has to be, at least in my judgement, one of the worst possible months you could hold a primary in," he said.