Minnesota state legislative Democratic primaries, 2018

Elections 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.

* * *

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2018 Minnesota
State Legislature elections

General| November 6, 2018
Primary| August 14, 2018
2018 elections

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The Democratic primary elections for seats in the Minnesota House of Representatives were on August 14, 2018. For information about the Republican primary elections in Minnesota, click here.

The general election was on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was June 5, 2018. In the state House, all 134 seats were up for election. No Senate seats were up for election.

HIGHLIGHTS

* As of November 2017, Minnesota was one of 18 states under divided government and not one of the 32 states under a state government trifecta. A state government trifecta is a term used to describe a single-party government where one political party holds the governor's office and a majority in both chambers of the state legislature. To find out more about state government trifectas, click here.

## Contents

* 1 Incumbents who did not advance to the general election
* 1.1 Retiring incumbents
* 2 Competitiveness
* 3 Partisan control
* 3.1 Minnesota House of Representatives
* 3.2 Minnesota State Senate
* 4 Battleground races
* 5 Media coverage
* 6 Voter information
* 6.1 How the primary works
* 6.2 Poll times
* 6.3 Registration requirements
* 6.4 Automatic registration
* 6.5 Online registration
* 6.6 Same-day registration
* 6.7 Residency requirements
* 6.8 Verification of citizenship
* 6.9 Verifying your registration
* 6.10 Voter ID requirements
* 6.11 Early voting
* 6.12 Absentee voting
* 7 See also
* 8 Footnotes

## Incumbents who did not advance to the general election[edit]

### Retiring incumbents[edit]

Fifteen Democratic state House incumbents did not seek re-election in 2018:

* Jason Metsa (District 6B)
* Clark Johnson (District 19A)
* David Bly (District 20B)
* Debra Hilstrom (District 40B)
* Jon Applebaum (District 44B)
* Peggy Flanagan (District 46A)
* Laurie Pryor (District 48A)
* Paul Rosenthal (District 49B)
* Linda Slocum (District 50A)
* JoAnn Ward (District 53A)
* Erin Maye Quade (District 57A)
* Karen Clark (District 62A)
* Susan Allen (District 62B)
* Erin Murphy (District 64B)
* Sheldon Johnson (District 67B)

## Competitiveness[edit]

See also: 2018 primary election competitiveness in state and federal government and Minnesota state legislative Republican primaries, 2018

There were 23 open seats in 2018, which was lower than the 28 open seats in 2016 but higher than the 15 open seats in 2014. The 14 contested Democratic primaries was down from 17 in 2016 but up 6 in 2014. The 8 contested Republican primaries was down from 11 in 2016 and 9 2014. The 299 candidates running was down from 426 in 2016 and 275 in 2014.

Year | Total seats | Open seats | Total candidates | Democratic primaries contested | Republican primaries contested | Total contested | Incumbents contested in primaries | Total incumbents contested in primaries

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

2018 | 134 | 23 | 299 | 14 | 8 | 8.2% | 7 | 6.3%
2016 | 201 | 28 | 426 | 17 | 11 | 7.0% | 11 | 6.4%
2014 | 134 | 15 | 275 | 6 | 9 | 5.6% | 5 | 4.2%

## Partisan control[edit]

The tables below show the partisan breakdowns of the Minnesota House of Representatives and the Minnesota State Senate as of August 2018:

### Minnesota House of Representatives[edit]

Party  | As of August 2018

|

| Democratic Party | 56
| Republican Party | 77
| Vacancies  | 1
Total |  134

### Minnesota State Senate[edit]

Party  | As of August 2018

|

| Democratic Party | 33
| Republican Party | 33
| Vacancies  | 1
Total |  67

## Battleground races[edit]

Ballotpedia identified battleground races in the 2018 Minnesota state legislative Democratic primary elections. These primaries had the potential to be more competitive than other races and could have led to changes in the membership of the Democratic caucus or had an impact on general election races.

To determine the Minnesota state legislative Democratic primary battleground races in 2018, Ballotpedia examined races that fit one or more of the three factors listed below:

1. Identified by the media as a notable primary election.
2. One or more of the candidates received a notable endorsement.
3. The primary was known to be competitive based on past results or because it was a rematch of a primary that was competitive in the past.

## Media coverage[edit]

This section provides an overview of media reactions to the Minnesota state legislative Democratic primaries.[1] Selected articles are presented as a jumping-off point for deeper exploration of media coverage and as an overview of narratives that have emerged surrounding the elections.

## Voter information[edit]

### How the primary works[edit]

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.[2]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

### Poll times[edit]

In Minnesota, most polling places are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Central Time. Towns with fewer than 500 residents may open their polls as late as 10 a.m. in state or federal elections.

In city, town, and school-only elections, polling places in Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Washington, and Wright counties may open their polls as late as 10 a.m. All other municipalities may open their polls as late as 5 p.m in those elections.

Anyone in line when the polls close must be allowed to vote.[3]

### Registration requirements[edit]

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 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 days preceding the election. The person cannot be currently incarcerated for a felony conviction or under a court order that revokes their right to vote[4][5]

An individual must register to vote at least 21 days before Election Day or on Election Day at a polling place.[6] 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.[4][7]

### Automatic registration[edit]

See also: Automatic voter registration

Minnesota practices automatic voter registration. An individual is automatically registered to vote if they apply for a new or renewed Minnesota driver's license, Medicaid, or benefits or services from a participating state agency. The applicant must include documentation or verification of their U.S. citizenship, or records must reflect that they previously provided proof of citizenship.[5]

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[edit]

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[edit]

See also: Same-day voter registration

Minnesota allows for same-day voter registration.[7]

### Residency requirements[edit]

To register to vote in Minnesota, you must be a "resident of Minnesota for 20 days," according to the Minnesota Secretary of State's office.[4]

### Verification of citizenship[edit]

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

As of November 2025, 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."[8]

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.[9] Eight states — Alabama, Arizona, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming — have laws requiring individuals provide proof of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. Two states, Georgia and Mississippi, require a person provide proof of citizenship if their citizenship status cannot be verified by other means. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. 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[edit]

The Minnesota Secretary of State allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

### Voter ID requirements[edit]

Minnesota does not generally require registered voters to present identification while voting.[10]

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.[7] Click here to see what qualifies as acceptable proof of residency.

The federal Help America Vote Act requires that individuals in all 50 states who register to vote by mail and who have not voted previously in a federal election in their state must provide either their driver's license or a paycheck, bank statement, current utility bill, or government document showing their name and address. Individuals voting by mail must include a copy of one of those documents with their absentee/mail-in ballot.[11]

These requirements do not apply if an individual submitted a copy of their identification, their driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number when registering to vote.

### Early voting[edit]

Minnesota permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting allows citizens to cast their ballots in person at a polling place before 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.

Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting. Alabama, Mississippi, and New Hampshire do not offer no-excuse early voting.

### Absentee voting[edit]

There are no eligibility requirements to vote absentee in Minnesota.[12][13]

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.[14][13]

## See also[edit]

* Minnesota state legislative Republican primaries, 2018
* Minnesota House of Representatives elections, 2018
* Minnesota State Legislature
* Minnesota elections, 2018

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ In selecting articles for inclusion in this section, Ballotpedia has drawn from a variety of sources and viewpoints to identify articles that are representative of broader trends in media coverage.
2. ↑ Minnesota Legislature, "Minn. Stat. § 204D.08," accessed November 17, 2025
3. ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Voting Hours," accessed November 17, 2025
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Minnesota Secretary of State, "Register to Vote," accessed November 17, 2025
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Minnesota State Legislature, "House File 3," accessed November 17, 2025
6. ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Common Registration Questions," accessed November 17, 2025
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Minnesota Secretary of State, "Register on Election Day," accessed November 17, 2025
8. ↑ Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, "Minnesota Voter Registration Application," accessed November 17, 2025
9. ↑ 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."
10. ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Do I Need to Bring ID?" accessed November 17, 2025
11. ↑ Congress, "H.R.3295 - Help America Vote Act of 2002," accessed September 30, 2025
12. ↑ Star Tribune, "No excuse needed to vote absentee in Minnesota," June 22, 2014
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Minnesota Secretary of State, "Vote Early By Mail," accessed November 17, 2025
14. ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Minnesota Absentee Ballot Application," accessed November 17, 2025

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