NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 21, 2020
MEDIA CONTACT: Phil Chapman, Deputy Auditor, Supervisor of Elections
(218) 726-2445
Auditor's Office reminds voters of rules of upcoming Presidential Primary Election
On March 3, Minnesota voters will have the opportunity to do something they haven't been able to do since 1992: vote in a Presidential Nomination Primary. (Since 1992, the vote was taken as part of party caucus events. In 2016, legislation was passed establishing a Presidential Nomination Primary.)
Since this will be a new election experience for many voters, the St. Louis County Auditor's Office offers these reminders of how it will differ from other elections:
- Only presidential candidates from a major party will appear on the Presidential Primary ballot; all other offices with a primary will be on the Primary ballot in August. Both the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and the Republican Party will be participating in this primary.
- Instead of one ballot that contains all of the offices and candidates, each party participating in the Presidential Nominating Primary will have a ballot specific to its party. Because of this, voters must declare their party preference prior to receiving a ballot. A list of who voted in a presidential nomination primary and the political party each voter selected will be provided to the chair of each major political party by the Minnesota Secretary of State, as required by Minnesota Statute. How a voter voted on their ballot will be secret. If a voter refuses to select a party, they will not be able to vote in the Presidential Nomination Primary.
Registered voters will be able to vote at their polling place on March 3, or by absentee ballot through March 2. Unregistered voters can register at their polling place on primary day.
Additional information can be found online at stlouiscountymn.gov/auditor.
 On Friday, staff in the Auditor's Office conducted a public accuracy test of voting equipment ahead of the March 3 Presidential Primary Election.
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