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Early voting in Minneapolis more than doubles total from 2016 so far

Early voters are flocking to the polls, and there are still options available ahead of Election Day

MINNEAPOLIS — Twenty-three-year-old Andrew Dobosenski voted in an election for the very first time on Saturday, after standing in line for about an hour at the Early Vote Center on Hennepin Avenue in Northeast.

He did not expect that the simple act of casting an absentee ballot would bring such an emotional reaction.

“When I filled out that form, it was just a very touching moment,” Dobosenski said. “I kind of felt like I have a little bit more control, over what’s being tossed around me in this crazy world.”

That crazy world was on full display on Saturday, as voters stood in a socially-distant queue outside the early voting facility on a beautiful weekend morning. It looked more like an actual Election Day than an absentee line, as people rushed to take advantage of early voting opportunities during the pandemic.

The Early Vote Center even offered a “curbside” voting option, allowing people to cast absentee ballots without ever leaving the driver’s seat of their vehicles.

That’s 2020 for you.

“It’s not ideal, you know,” said Hal Welch before he joined the absentee line. “No two ways about it. But, we make do.”

So far this election cycle, roughly 153,000 people in Minneapolis have voted early, more than double the amount totaled in 2016.

Katie Lauer, a communications and outreach coordinator for Minneapolis elections, said the city has four early voting locations open through Monday at 5 p.m., the day before Election Day. On the actual Election Day, the polls will open as they always do, except with possible location changes due to COVID-19. Voters are encouraged to check those locations before they arrive.  

“I think we’re ready for anything,” Lauer said. “We just want to make sure folks get out in whatever method is best for them, either early, by mail, or in-person on Election Day.”

All counties offered in-person absentee voting on Saturday, and many locations (county or municipality) offer hours on Sunday and Monday. For those who did request absentee ballots by mail, they should not send them back through the mail. Due to a recent court ruling, they likely must be received on Election Day to count, meaning anyone sending them through the Postal Service might not make it by the Tuesday deadline.

Officials urge voters to drop their absentee ballots off at their local election offices.

“Drop it off in person. Don’t put it back in the mail at this point,” Lauer said. “We do, in Minneapolis, have 13 different sites that voters can do that in person, every day through 3 p.m. on Election Day.”

With more than 1.5 million absentee ballots already collected statewide, some voters say they hope early voting becomes a more popular trend in future elections.

“The more convenient you make it for voters to vote, the more they’re gonna turn out,” Dobosenski said. “I’m really loving what they’re doing with early voting.”

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