Minnesota primary election tomorrow: Voter guide

(FOX 9) - Minnesota's primary election is tomorrow, Tuesday, Aug. 11. Polls will open at 7 a.m. 

Minnesota's primary election

What to know:

The primary election is tomorrow, Aug. 11. Minnesota voters will be picking which candidates will go head-to-head in November to be the next governor and to claim the open seat in the U.S. Senate, among other races. 

What's on my ballot?

Local perspective:

See a sample of what's on your ballot on the Minnesota Secretary of State's website. You just need to enter your address or zip code. 

Ways to vote

Big picture view:

In Minnesota, you can vote in an election in the following ways. 

Early in-person voting

• Early voting locations are open until 5 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 10.
• Find an early voting location near you.

Absentee ballot

• Ballots returned by mail received by election officials by Election Day, not just post-marked before Election Day.
• It is now recommended that you drop off your ballot instead.
• You can return your ballot to the office that sent it or a drop-box. Do not bring your absentee ballot to a polling place on
• You can drop off absentee ballots for up to three other voters.

In person on Tuesday

• Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.
• Find your polling place.

Minnesota primary rules 

Split-ticket voting:

Minnesota is an open primary state, which means voters don’t have to declare a party to participate. However, in partisan races, voters must stick to candidates from one party on their ballot. If you vote for candidates from more than one political party—called split-ticket voting—your votes will not count. 

Dig deeper:

Here are a few more things to know before you head to the polls: 

• Minnesota law prohibits campaigning or wearing campaign materials inside a polling place or within 100 feet of the building.
• Taking photos or videos inside the polling place, even of your own ballot, is discouraged.
• Minnesotans do not need to bring an ID to the polls if you are already registered to vote.
• You can register to vote (or update your voter registration) at your polling place on Election Day so long as you show proof of residence. These are the approved ways to show proof of residence.

Minnesota governor race

Big picture view:

Minnesota has an open governor's race for the first time since 2018, after Gov. Tim Walz announced he would not seek a third term. The Republican primary for governor features seven candidates, with the leading names including Kendall Qualls (the party’s endorsed pick), Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth and My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump. 

Republican gubernatorial candidates: 

• John Krhin
• Ross Nova
• Loner Blue
• Mike Lindell
• Raul J Estrada
• Lisa Demuth
• Kendall Qualls

The Democratic primary also features seven candidates, with the most prominent being U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who has the party endorsement, and former Capitol staffer Kobey Layne.

Democratic gubernatorial candidates: 

• Kobey J Layne
• Mohammad Wazwaz
• Thomas Evenstad
• Amy Klobuchar
• Po Vang
• Bill E Gates J.R.
• Ole "Viking" Savior

Minnesota Senate race 

Big picture view:

For the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Tina Smith, six DFL candidates and nine Republicans are running.

Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and U.S. Rep. Angie Craig are the top Democrats, while former Navy SEAL Adam Schwarze and former sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya lead the Republican field.

Republican candidates: 

• Adam Schwarze
• Bob "Again" Carney Jr.
• Ahmad R. (Raafat) Hassan
• Patrick Munro
• Joyce Lacey
• Tom Weiler
• Cynthia Gail
• Michele Tafoya
• Royce White

Democratic candidates: 

• Peggy Flanagan
• Peter John Murgic
• George H Kalberer
• Kurt Michael Anderson
• Angie Craig
• Billy Nord

Primary election results: How to watch on FOX 9

FOX 9 will have live coverage of Election Day and the results of Minnesota's primary elections. 

Coverage will start at 11 a.m. FOX 9 and online at fox9.com/live, the FOX LOCAL app and YouTube.