Primary Voting Mostly Smooth In Minn., Comparing Turnout With Prior Caucuses Will Be Difficult
MINNEAPOLIS (AP/WCCO) -- Minnesota's first presidential primary since 1992 is unfolding fairly smoothly in a spot check of the state's large jurisdictions.
The city of Minneapolis and Ramsey County, home to St. Paul, report steady traffic at their polling places and no evident problems with lines. With only Democrats facing a contested ballot, any issues of lines or delays in voting would likely emerge in the liberal-dominated Twin Cities.
However, when some Minnesota voters went online to find out where to vote today, the instructions weren't there. Technical issues at the Minnesota Secretary of State's website took voters to another site that supports Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren.
RELATED: Click here to see results for the 2020 Minnesota primary elections.
The vote comes a day after Sen. Amy Klobuchar dropped from the race to throw her support behind Joe Biden.
Comparing turnout to prior years is difficult since Minnesota used caucuses for its presidential preference for nearly 30 years. The state's switch to early voting has also greatly expanded the number of people choosing that option.
Minnesota consistently has the best voter turnout in the country, and we're now starting to see that also include the youth vote. In 2014, just 23% of 18- to 29-year-olds took part in our political process. That number jumped more than 20 percentage points in 2018, to 43%, which was the best in the U.S.
Minneapolis elections communications coordinator Katie Lauer says the city is expecting turnout between 30% and 40%.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
