MINNESOTA 10 Electoral Votes 
link to clickable map
Population 
(Source: U.S. Census Bureau)
Total Resident Population, July 1, 2016 est.           5,519,952
Registration, Nov. 8, 2016 at 7 a.m.                         3,270,734
Minnesota has: 87 counties.
Largest counties: Hennepin, Ramsey, Dakota, Anoka, Washington.
Five largest cities: Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester, Duluth, Bloomington. 

Government
Governor: Mark Dayton (DFL) elected in 2010, re-elected in 2014.
State Legislature: Minnesota State Legislature   House: 134 seats  Senate: 67 seats
Local: Local Government   NACO
U.S. House: 5DFL, 3R - 1. T.Walz (DFL)2. J.Kline (R) | 3. E. Paulsen (R) | 4. B.McCollum (DFL) | 5. K.Ellison (DFL) |
6. T.Emmer (R) | 7. C.Peterson (DFL) |
8.R.Nolan (DFL).   >
U.S. Senate: Al Franken (DFL) re-elected in 2014, Amy Klobuchar (DFL) re-elected in 2012.
2016
U.S. House: Minnesota saw three very close House races, but none of the seats flipped and the partisan balance remained at 5DFL, 3R.
- In CD-2 (southern Minneapolis-St. Paul and a bit South), Rep. John Kline (R), first elected in 2002, is not seeking re-election.  Radio talk show host Jason Lewis (R), narrowly defeated health care executive Angie Craig (DFL) and Paula Overby (IP), who also ran in 2014 by
173,970 votes (46.95%) to 167,315 (45.16%) and 28,869 (7.79%).
- In CD-1 (stretches across the bottom of the state from SD to WI) Rep. Tim Walz (D) eked out a win over Jim Hagedorn (R) by 169,074 votes (50.34%) to 166,526 (49.58%).
- In CD-8 (Northeast MN including Duluth and the iron ranges) there was a re-match between Rep. Rick Nolan (DFL) and businessman Stuart Mills (R); Nolan won by
179,098 votes (50.17%) to 177,089 (49.61%).
State Legislature: Republicans won control of the Senate, going from 38D, 28R and 1v to 34R, 33D, and they strengthened their majority in the House, going from 73R, 61D to 76R, 57D.
Ballot Measures: Voters overwhelmingly approved the one legislatively referred constitutional amendment (LCRA) on the ballot, Amendment 1 to create an independent board to set the pay of legislators.

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Republican Party of MN
Independence Party of MN

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Land of 10,000 Lakes
General Election -- Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Voting Eligible Population*: 3,966,155.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 74.2%.



Minnesota has had Election Day registration since 1974.

Absentee Voting by Mail or In-Person:
Sept. 23-Nov. 7, 2016.



Note: An Aug. 2016 report by The Pew Charitable Trusts ranks Minnesota "the number one state for having the least amount of registration or absentee ballot problems (+)."
Official Results >

 
Trump/Pence (Rep.)
1,322,951
(44.92)
+Clinton/Kaine (DFL)
1,367,716
(46.44)
Castle/Bradley (Const.)
9,456
(0.32)
Vacek/Elworth (Marij.)
11,291
(0.38)
Kennedy/Hart (SWP)
1,672
(0.06)
Stein/Hawkins (Grn.)
36,985
(1.26)
De La Fuente/Steinberg (AmDel.)
1,431
(0.05)
McMullin/Johnson (Indep.)
53,076
(1.80)
Johnson/Weld (Lib.)
112,972
(3.84)
w/ins
27,263
(0.93)
Total........2,944,813

Overview: The Republican presidential ticket had not carried Minnesota since Richard Nixon won in 1972, but Trump-Pence came very close to achieving a win in 2016. 
   In September there was a bit of a kerfuffle over Trump being placed on the ballot, but the state Supreme Court quickly settled the matter  (+).
   In the closing days of the campaign Trump and Pence each visited the state (New York magazine's "Daily Intelligencer" (Nov. 5) described the visits as a "sign of desperation," but clearly the Trump campaign saw there was a possibility of winning).  There were a handful of Democratic visits.

   The Clinton campaign had very small footprint in Minnesota compared to election cycles going back to 2000, but it was enough to win.  Clinton-Kaine prevailed with a plurality of 44,765 votes (1.52 percentage points).  Their vote total was off by 11.5% (178,451 votes) from Obama's 2012 total, while the Republican ticket obtained almost the same share of the vote as Romney had in 2012.  Clinton carried just nine counties (Cook, St. Louis Lake and Carlton in the NE tip; Hennepin, Ramsey, Dakota and Washington in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area; and Olmsted Co. in the SE) to 78 for Trump. 
   Independent candidate Evan McMullin secured the backing of the Independence Party of MN in August (+) and achieved his third best showing in the state.

   Minnesota had the highest turnout as a percentage of voting eligilble population of any state.
General Election Visits
Clinton  |  Trump
BALLOT [PDF]
[State Primary: August 9, 2016]
Precinct Caucuses -- February 7, 2016
Democrats
93 Delegates: 50 District, 17 At-Large, 10 PLEO and 16 Unpledged.

details


Republicans
38 Delegates: 3 RNC; 11 At-Large; 24 by CD (3 x 8 CDs).

Details


Note: On May 22, 2016 Gov. Dayton signed into law a bill which will institute a presidential primary system beginning in 2020.


General Election Winners in Minnesota, 1992-2012
1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012
Clinton
43.48%
Clinton
51.10%
Gore
47.91%
Kerry
51.09%
Obama
54.06%
Obama
52.65%
  and the details...
 
General Election -- Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Voting Eligible Population*: 3,876,752.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 75.7%.


Absentee Voting: Sept. 21-Nov. 5, 2012. +
MN SOS: Voter Information

Official Results >

 
Romney/Ryan (Rep.)
1,320,225
(44.96)
+Obama/Biden (Dem.) 1,546,167
(52.65)
Johnson/Gray (Lib.)
35,098
(1.20)
Harris/Deluca (SWP)
1,051
(0.04)
Goode/Clymer (Const.)
3,722
(0.13)
Morstad/Franke-Hyland (CG)
1,092
(0.04)
Stein/Honkala (Grn.)
13,023
(0.44)
Carlson/McMahon (Grass.)
3,149
(0.11)
Lindsay/Osorio (PS&L)
397
(0.01)
Anderson/Rodriguez (Jus.)
1,996
(0.07)
w/ins
10,641
(0.36)
Total........2,936,561

2012 Overview
The Republican presidential ticket has not carried Minnesota since Richard Nixon won in 1972, and that continued for 2012.  Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who ran a short-lived presidential campaign of his own, and who was on Sen. John McCain's short list in 2008, was frequently mentioned as a potential running mate for Romney until Romney selected another midwesterner, Rep. Paul Ryan (WI).  Although the Romney campaign ran ads in Minnesota late in the campaign, observers suggested they were aimed at influencing voters in Wisconsin.  Obama-Biden won with a plurality of 225,942 (7.69 percentage points), carrying 28 counties to 59 for Romney-Ryan.  Minnesota had the highest turnout of any state as a percentage of voting eligilble population.
General Election Details
Obama  |  (Romney)
BALLOT [PDF]

General Election -- Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Voting Eligible Population*: 3,721,943.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 78.2%.


Total Registration: 3,199,981 plus same day registrants: 542,140.


 +                               Official Results >


McCain-Palin (Rep.)
1,275,409
(43.82)
+Obama-Biden (DFL)
1,573,354
(54.06)
McKinney/Clemente (Grn.)
5,174
(0.18)
Calero/Kennedy (SWP)
790
(0.03)
Nader/Gonzalez (I)
30,152
(1.04)
Barr/Root (Lib.)
9,174
(0.32)
Baldwin/Castle (Const.)
6,787
(0.23)
w/ins
9,529
(0.33)
Total........2,910,369




2008 Overview
The 2008 Republican National Convention, held at Xcel Energy Center in Minneapolis-St. Paul from Sept. 1-4, 2008, helped boost the state's economy, but couldn't tip the Minnesota into the Republican column.  Obama won with a plurality of 297,945 votes (10.24 percentage points).  Much of that came from the two biggest counties, Hennepin and Ramsey, where Obama obtained a total of 603,932 votes to 319,996 for McCain.  All told McCain carried 45 counties to 42 for Obama. 
General Election Details
Obama/Allies  |  McCain/Allies  |  Nader  |  Baldwin


Photos: Politics at the Minnesota State Fair

General Election -- Tuesday, November 2, 2004
Voting Eligible Population*: 3,609,185.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 78.4%.

 

Cobb/LaMarche
4,408
(0.16)
Bush/Cheney (Rep.)
1,346,695
(47.61)
+Kerry/Edwards (DFL) 1,445,014 (51.09)
Van Auken/Lawrence (SEP) 539
(0.02)
Calero/Hawkins (SWP)
416
(0.01)
Harens/Ryan (CF)
2,387
(0.08)
Nader Camejo (BL)
18,683
(0.66)
Peroutka/Baldwin (Const.)
3,074
(0.11)
Badnarik/Campagna (Lib.)
4,639
(0.16)
Write Ins
2,532

Total........2,828,387
 




2004 Overview
Kerry widened the margin upon Gore's 2000 showing, gaining a plurality of 98,319 votes (3.48 percentage points).  Kerry finished ahead in the 4th, 5th and 8th CDs.  At the meeting of the Electoral College on Dec. 13, 2004 Minnesota earned an asterisk when one of the 10 electors voted for John Edwards for president.

General Election Details
Kerry/Allies  |  Bush/Cheney '04


General Election -- Tuesday, November 7, 2000
Voting Eligible Population*: 3,506,432.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 69.5%.
Phillips/Frazier (Const.)
 3,272
 (0.13)
+Gore/Lieberman (DFL)
 1,168,266
(47.91)
Bush/Cheney (Rep.)
 1,109,659
(45.50)
Harris/Trowe (SWP)
 1,022
(0.04)
Buchanan/Foster(Ref.MN)
 22,166
(0.91)
Hagelin/Goldhaber (Ref.)
2,294
(0.09)
Browne/Olivier (Lib.)
 5,282
 (0.22)
Nader/LaDuke (Grn.)
126,696
(5.20)
Declared Write Ins (3) 
28
Total........2,438,685

Total Voters: 2,457,156.

2000 Overview
Bush made a close race for Minnesota's 10 electoral votes, but on Election Day Gore came out on top, gaining a plurality of 58,607 votes (2.41 percentage points).  Gore carried 16 counties to 71 for Bush.  The last Republican presidential candidate to carry Minnesota was Richard Nixon, seeking re-election in 1972 against George McGovern.  Yet in October at least one poll showed Bush ahead.  The state experienced a crush of activity in the closing weeks of the campaign.  Nader supporters hoped to obtain as much as 10 percent, which, had it happened could have tipped the state to Bush.  Gov. Ventura, who has roiled Minnesota politics since his upset win in 1998, remained neutral in the presidential race.
General Election Activity

1992 and 1996 General Elections

1992
Clinton (Dem.).....1,020,997
(43.48)
Bush (Rep.)...........747,841
(31.85)
Perot (MNfP)..........562,506
(23.96)
Others (8+w/ins)......16,603
(0.71)
Total........2,347,947

1996
Clinton (Dem.).....1,120,438
(51.10)
Dole (Rep.)............766,476
(34.96)
Perot (Ref.)............257,704
(11.75)
Nader (Grn.)............24,908
(1.14)
Others (7+w/ins)......23,114
(1.05)
Total........2,192,640
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