2026 Midterms State GuideMinnesota
Hold on to your lutefisk and loons.
Polls are closed
Polls are closed in Minnesota, and results aren’t finalized yet.
Ballots are still being counted, close races can take days to call, and no result is official until it’s certified.
A prayer for Minnesota
Lord of lakes and land, hold Minnesota through the midterms. Even in their deep divisions, draw near to voters as they enter the ballot box. Even as they seek wisdom and justice through their choices, teach Minnesotans to turn to You, the renewer of everything, to heal their land. May they cast their votes with humble conviction and hold the outcome with open hands.
Read the whole prayerUpdated
Hi! It’s me, Shadrach. Apparently, I’m your civic guide today. If you’ve been complaining about how things are going (and I’ve heard you... the walls are thin), this guide will help you feel informed and able to vote in this year’s midterms. Now, hold on to your lutefisk and loons, and let’s get into it.
Minnesota at a glance
Minnesota votes on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, for governor, U.S. Senate, all 8 U.S. House seats and one statewide ballot measure.
- Election Day
- Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026
- Early voting
- Sep. 18: Early voting begins (in person or request a ballot by mail).
- Governor
- 3 candidates
- U.S. Senate
- 4 candidates
- U.S. House
- 8 seats
- Statewide ballot measures
- 1
What happens next
The counting continues
Election-night numbers are unofficial. Mail, provisional, and military ballots are still being counted, so close races can take days to call.
Officials double-check the count
Local election officials review the ballots and the tallies (the canvass). A very close race can go to a recount.
Minnesota certifies the results
Results become official once Minnesota certifies them, usually a few weeks after Election Day.
Winners take office
The new Congress takes office in early January. Governors and other state officials take office on dates set by state law, most of them in January too.
Important dates
- Aug. 11Primaries This date has passed.
- Sep. 18Early voting begins (in person or request a ballot by mail). This date has passed.
- Oct. 13Deadline to pre-register (5 p.m. in person, 11:59 p.m. online). Election-day registration still available. This date has passed.
- Oct. 24 to Nov. 1Extra early voting hours on Saturdays (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.), Tuesday, Oct. 27 (until 7 p.m.) and Sunday, Nov. 1 (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.). This date has passed.
- Nov. 2 (5 p.m.)Last day to vote early in person or apply for an absentee ballot This date has passed.
- Nov. 3Election Day. Polls open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. (some small towns open later). Same-day registration available. Absentee ballot in-person deadline of 5 p.m.; mailed ballots must arrive by 8 p.m. This date has passed.
What’s at stake
Minnesotans stand out nationally for what is top of mind. While most American voters are worrying about their wallets, the economy ranked third in Minnesota’s eyes. According to a 2026 Emerson poll, 28% of voters felt threats to democracy were the top issue facing the state, followed by immigration (17%) and the economy (16%). The purple state is coming down from a year of ICE- and immigration-related headlines, and its political landscape is just as divisive. While Dems seem poised to snag the Governor and Senate seats, the House is split evenly, and whoever wins will inherit a state that has been politically on edge all year.
Who’s on your ballot
Tap a race to see the candidates.
Minnesota is choosing a governor
See whose priorities line up with yours
Here are the top priorities each candidate lists, in their own words. Pick the 3 that matter most to you. Names stay hidden until you see your results.
0 of 3 picked
- Top priorities
Amy KlobucharDemocrat- Lowering costs for Minnesotans on housing, child care and health care
- Making government accountable and rooting out fraud in state programs
- Doubling apprenticeships and workforce training in the trades, health care and public safety
- Top prioritiesLisa DemuthRepublican
- Cutting income taxes in the lowest two brackets, lowering car tab fees and ending Social Security taxes
- Ending fraud in state programs and holding responsible state workers accountable
- Supporting first responders and strengthening sentences for repeat offenders
- Top priorities
Steven YoungGreen- Limiting ICE operations in Minnesota, while acknowledging a governor can't abolish the agency
- Making Minnesota a sanctuary state
- Banning hyperscale data centers
- Get to know ’em
Peggy FlanaganDemocrat - Get to know ’em
Michele TafoyaRepublican - Get to know ’em
Rebecca WhitingLibertarian - Get to know ’em
Marisa SimonettiIndependent
All U.S. House of Representatives seats are up for election every two years. Find your district here.
- Shadrach’s big picture
The Land of 10,000 Lakes will elect eight candidates to represent it in the U.S. House. It’s a purple state split down the middle, with Republicans expected to hold four seats and Democrats the other four.
- Open seats
One: MN-2’s incumbent Rep. Angie Craig (D) is running for U.S. Senate.
- Competitive districts
No Minnesota district is considered competitive. MN-1 and MN-2 are ranked likely Republican and likely Democrat, respectively. MN-3, MN-4, and MN-5 are ranked solidly Democratic, and the rest are solidly Republican. Candidates in both parties filed to run in every district, so no district is guaranteed to either party.
Statewide ballot measures
1 to read before you go. Tap one to open it.
Minnesota has a $2.2 billion pot of money set aside just for public schools. Right now, the rules only let schools get whatever interest and dividends that money earns each year, and that's capped at 2.5% of the fund's value. This amendment would let the state hand out more: up to 4.5% of the fund's value each year, starting in the 2027-28 school year.
Voting yessupports letting the state pay schools up to 4.5% of the Permanent School Fund's value each year, starting in the 2027-28 school year.Voting noopposes this constitutional amendment, keeping school payouts limited to the interest and dividends the fund earns, capped at 2.5% of its value.
Also on the ballot
Other races Minnesota voters will decide.
- Lieutenant Governor
- Attorney General
- Secretary of State
- Auditor
- State Senate
- State House
- Special state legislative
- State Supreme Court
- Intermediate appellate courts
- School boards
- Municipal government
Whose job is it?
Ten things government does. Tap the office that does each one.
Whose job is it to…
1 of 10
Declare a state of emergency after a hurricane or flood?
Pass it on
Know someone voting in Minnesota?
Send them the guide. It takes one tap, and it saves them an evening of arguing in a group chat.
From the newsroom
How TPO has covered Minnesota this cycle. Tap one to read it here.
A prayer for Minnesota
Lord of lakes and land, hold Minnesota through the midterms. Even in their deep divisions, draw near to voters as they enter the ballot box. Even as they seek wisdom and justice through their choices, teach Minnesotans to turn to You, the renewer of everything, to heal their land. May they cast their votes with humble conviction and hold the outcome with open hands.
Shield candidates from the temptation to win at any cost. May they lead with humility and remember that the people they seek to represent belong to You before they belong to any party. If they win, surround them with wise counsel and guide them toward decisions that serve their constituents. For those who lose, may they do so with dignity and a unifying spirit.
Guard the hearts and minds of those weighed down by noise, grieved by division, or afraid of tomorrow. For You are not shaken by elections; You govern governors, and Your kingdom will not be moved.
Amen.