848,000 Minnesotans cast ballots before midterm deadline
A DFL rally in Bemidji cited record early voting numbers and a school funding amendment as key issues for the Nov. 3 election.
By Amit Chukwu ·
Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon reported that 848,000 residents had already voted by 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1. Party officials called the figure a record for a midterm election cycle. The number approaches the total of early voters recorded in 2024.
The data point anchored a rally held at Paul Bunyan Park plaza in Bemidji. Approximately 100 supporters gathered on Sunday, Nov. 1, to meet a Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party tour bus. DFL Party Chair Richard Carlbom welcomed the crowd and introduced candidates traveling on the vehicle. The group included Auditor candidate Zack Filipovich and Lieutenant Governor candidate Ben Schierer.
The political bus tour in Bemidji followed a stop by the Minnesota Republican Party on Thursday, Oct. 29. Both parties used the event to mobilize voters ahead of the Tuesday, Nov. 3, midterm election.
Filipovich discussed the duties of the State Auditor, which oversees $56 billion in local government taxes and spending. He criticized his Republican opponent, Scott Jensen, for skipping a Minnesota Public Radio debate on Friday. Filipovich, a certified management accountant and former Duluth city councilor, said the absence suggested Jensen lacked ideas or experience for the role.
Carlbom shifted focus to a constitutional amendment on the ballot. The proposal would raise the annual funding distribution from public land held in trust for schools from 2.5% to 4.5%. Bemidji Superintendent Jeremy Olson estimated the change would provide $127,000 in additional yearly funding for Bemidji Area Schools without increasing the taxpayer burden. Carlbom warned that leaving the question blank on the ballot counts as a no vote.
Schierer, a former Fergus Falls mayor, spoke about his partnership with Governor candidate Amy Klobuchar. He noted that Klobuchar visited him in Fergus Falls shortly after he took office to discuss riverfront revitalization. He pledged a pro-growth agenda focused on jobs, housing, childcare, and healthcare for all 87 counties in the state.
The event concluded with Carlbom urging supporters to back DFL candidates who could not attend. He named Secretary of State Steve Simon, U.S. Senate candidate Peggy Flanagan, and Attorney General Keith Ellison. He also specifically encouraged votes for Congressional District 8 candidate Trina Swanson.
