Democratic Party primaries in Minnesota, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 16 , or in-person on Nov. 6
- Early voting: Sept. 21 - Nov. 5
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: Yes
- Voter ID: No
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Primary elections—in which registered voters select a candidate whom they believe should run on their party's ticket in the general election—can reflect internal conflict over the direction of a party.
Heading into the 2018 election, the Democratic Party sought to increase its power at the state and federal levels under the Trump administration. Its membership, however, disagreed on several major policy areas, including healthcare, free trade, education funding, a federal job guarantee, and a proposal to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).[1][2]
Candidates endorsed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee won 31 of 33 primaries in 2018.[3] Democratic Socialists of America member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D) primary victory over incumbent Joseph Crowley (D) in New York's 14th Congressional District was a notable victory for progressive activists.[4][5][6]
Democrats also won a U.S. Senate seat in Alabama for the first time in 30 years and flipped longtime Republican seats in the Wisconsin state Senate and Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District. A record number of Republican congressional retirements also led to large Democratic fields for typically non-competitive seats.[7]
This page focuses on the Democratic primaries that took place in Minnesota on August 14, 2018. In addition, the page provides context for understanding the state party apparatus.
Battleground primaries
Battleground elections are those that Ballotpedia expected would either be more competitive than other races or attract significant national attention.
- United States Senate special election in Minnesota (August 14, 2018 Democratic primary)
- Minnesota's 5th Congressional District election (August 14, 2018 Democratic primary)
- Minnesota's 8th Congressional District election (August 14, 2018 Democratic primary)
- Minnesota gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (August 14 Democratic primary)
- Minnesota Attorney General election, 2018 (August 14 Democratic primary)
Federal elections
U.S. Senate
Democratic primary candidatesU.S. House
District 1
Democratic primary candidatesDistrict 2
Democratic primary candidatesDistrict 3
Democratic primary candidatesDistrict 4
Democratic primary candidates- Betty McCollum (Incumbent) ✔
- Muad Hassan
- Reid Rossell
District 5
Democratic primary candidates
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection surveyDistrict 6
Democratic primary candidates- Ian Todd ✔
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection surveyDistrict 7
Democratic primary candidates- Collin Peterson (Incumbent) ✔
District 8
Democratic primary candidatesState elections
Minnesota Party Control: 1992-2024
Four years of Democratic trifectas • No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | I | I | I | I | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | R | R | D | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D |
Gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election
Democratic primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
Attorney general election
Democratic primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
- Lori Swanson (Incumbent)
- Sam Clark
- Ryan Winkler
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Secretary of state election
Democratic primary candidates
This primary was canceled and this candidate advanced:
- Steve Simon (Incumbent) ✔
State party overview
- See also: Democratic Party of Minnesota
State political party revenue
State political parties typically deposit revenue in separate state and federal accounts in order to comply with state and federal campaign finance laws. The following table displays the Democratic Party of Minnesota's revenue over a six-year period from 2011 to 2016. Revenue totals are broken down by account type and year. The data was compiled through publicly available state and federal campaign finance reports.
| Democratic Party of Minnesota revenue, 2011 to 2016[8][9] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Federal account | State account(s) | Total |
| 2011 | $1,034,125.97 | $1,456,483.03 | $2,490,609.00 |
| 2012 | $5,121,296.44 | $10,478,546.01 | $15,599,842.45 |
| 2013 | $1,539,052.72 | $2,104,848.00 | $3,643,900.72 |
| 2014 | $5,203,387.01 | $7,882,559.63 | $13,085,946.64 |
| 2015 | $2,184,911.45 | $1,684,505.93 | $3,869,417.38 |
| 2016 | $9,408,511.01 | $9,906,037.99 | $19,314,549.00 |
Minnesota compared to other states
The Democratic Party and the Republican Party maintain state affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and select U.S. territories. The following maps display total state political party revenue per capita for the Democratic and Republican state party affiliates from 2011 to 2016. The blue map displays Democratic state parties and the red map displays Republican state parties. Click on a state below to view the state party's revenue per capita totals:
Total Democratic and Republican state political party revenue per capita in the United States, 2011-2016
Primary election scheduling
Minnesota was one of four states to hold a primary election on August 14, 2018.
Voter information
How the primary works
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Minnesota utilizes an open primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[10][11][12]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times
In Minnesota, most polling places are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Central Time. However, some smaller municipalities may open their polls as late as 10:00 a.m. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[13]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration status here.
Voter pre-registration is available in Minnesota beginning at age 16. An individual must be 18 years old on Election Day in order to vote. To register to vote in Minnesota, an individual must be a United States citizen who has resided in the state for the 20-day period preceding the election.[14][15]
An individual must register to vote at least 21 days before Election Day or on Election Day at a polling place. An individual may register to vote by completing a registration application and submitting it by mail or in-person to a local election official. An individual can also register online. To register at a polling place on Election Day, an individual must present valid identification.[14]
The Minnesota voter registration application includes an option to join a permanent absentee voter list, which means the voter will automatically be sent an absentee/mail-in ballot for every election.[15]
Automatic registration
Minnesota practices automatic voter registration.[15]
Automatic voter registration took effect on June 1, 2023, as a result of HF 3, which was signed into law by Governor Tim Walz (D) on May 5, 2023.
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Minnesota has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
Same-day registration
Minnesota allows for same-day voter registration.[16]
Residency requirements
To register to vote in Minnesota, you must be a resident of the state for at least 20 days.[14]
Verification of citizenship
As of October 2024, Minnesota did not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, "giving false information is a felony punishable by not more than 5 years imprisonment or a fine of not more than $10,000, or both."[17]
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[18] As of January 2025, six states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, and New Hampshire — had passed laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration. However, only two of those states' laws were in effect, in Arizona and New Hampshire. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allowed noncitizens to vote in some local elections as of November 2024. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The Minnesota Secretary of State allows residents to check their voter registration status online.
Voter ID requirements
Minnesota does not require registered voters to present identification while voting.[19]
If you are registering to vote at the polls or have not voted in at least four years, you will need to bring proof of residency to the polls. Click here to see what qualifies as acceptable proof of residency.
Early voting
Minnesota permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
There are no eligibility requirements to vote absentee in Minnesota.[20]
There is no specific deadline for applying for an absentee ballot. A completed ballot must be returned on or before Election Day for it to be counted.[21]
Prospective voters may select an option on the Minnesota voter registration application to join a permanent absentee voter list, which means they will automatically be sent an absentee/mail-in ballot for every election.[15]
See also
| Federal primaries in Minnesota | State primaries in Minnesota | Minnesota state party apparatus | Minnesota voter information |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Footnotes
- ↑ CNN, "Why a 'federal jobs guarantee' is gaining steam with Democrats," April 26, 2018
- ↑ The Atlantic, "What ‘Abolish ICE’ Actually Means," July 11, 2018
- ↑ CNBC, "Despite Ocasio-Cortez upset, Democratic primaries have not gone as far left as some argue," June 28, 2018
- ↑ New York Times, "There Is a Revolution on the Left. Democrats Are Bracing." July 21, 2018
- ↑ New York Times, "Democrats Are Moving Left. Don’t Panic," July 23, 2018
- ↑ Time, "How Democrats in Congress Responded to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Surprise Win," June 28, 2018
- ↑ CNN, "9 Democratic primaries to watch in 2018," October 26, 2017
- ↑ Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board, "View Political Party Unit Reports," accessed May 2016 (Search terms Republican Party of Minn and Minn DFL State Central Committee)
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Candidate and Committee Viewer," accessed May 2016 (Search terms Republican Party of Minnesota - Federal and Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party)
- ↑ NCSL,"State Primary Election Types," accessed April 25, 2023
- ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State,"PRIMARY ELECTION," accessed April 25, 2023
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Voting Hours," accessed April 24, 2023
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Minnesota Secretary of State, "Register to Vote," accessed April 24, 2023
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Minnesota State Legislature, "House File 3," accessed June 6, 2023
- ↑ NCSL, "State Profiles: Elections," accessed August 27, 2024
- ↑ Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, "Minnesota Voter Registration Application," accessed November 1, 2024
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Do I Need to Bring ID?" accessed April 25, 2023
- ↑ Star Tribune, "No excuse needed to vote absentee in Minnesota," June 22, 2014
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Minnesota Absentee Ballot Application," accessed April 25, 2023
