Minneapolis election officials are offering voters more options for how to return their ballots, as they prepare for high turnout amid the coronavirus pandemic.
City Clerk Casey Carl said the city has issued 155,195 mail-in absentee ballots, nearly seven times the number they had issued at the same point in the 2016 presidential election. More than half of them have already been returned, Carl said.
City officials are encouraging people to use mail-in ballots or vote early, as they seek to limit the spread of the coronavirus. They stressed, however, that anyone who wants to vote on Election Day, Nov. 3, can still do so, and the city will be taking extra safety precautions.
People can mail back their ballots, or drop them off at the city's Early Vote Center or the Hennepin County Government Center. Earlier this week, the city also began accepting ballots at the Convention Center.
A full list of the city's voting options and locations can be found online at vote.minneapolismn.gov.
Carl said the city will be able to begin processing mail-in ballots two weeks before the election, so they can be quickly counted on Election Day.
"I anticipate we will be 85% done on election night and able to report those results with confidence," Carl said.
He noted that those results will be considered unofficial, and the city will still be able to accept mail-in ballots through Nov. 10, provided they are postmarked by Election Day.
