The Official Source for Statewide Results
The first thing to know is where to look. While news outlets provide excellent analysis and projections, the raw, unofficial numbers for federal and state races come from one central hub: the Minnesota Secretary of State's official website. On election night, this site transforms into a live results portal. County election officials are responsible for entering vote totals directly into this system as they are compiled. The results displayed combine votes from in-person polling places with the absentee and mail-in ballots that have been processed. This centralized reporting ensures that everyone—from citizens to news organizations—is working from the same initial dataset.
Understanding 'Unofficial Results'
The most important term you'll see on election night is 'unofficial results'.
These are the preliminary vote counts reported by counties after polls close at 8 p.m. They are not the final, certified totals. Think of it as the box score of a game in progress. Following election night, local officials audit their work, checking for clerical errors or typos before the numbers are formally reviewed by a canvassing board. Only after this canvassing process, which can take days, do the results become official. This distinction is crucial; election night is about reporting, not certifying.
The First Wave: Precincts and Vote Totals
Shortly after 8 p.m., the first numbers will start to populate the results website. The initial data is typically basic: the number of precincts (out of the total) that have reported their counts, and the raw vote totals for each candidate from those specific precincts. You will see these numbers climb throughout the night as more and more of the state's 4,000-plus precincts complete their counts and transmit them. The data includes results from both in-person Election Day voting and the absentee ballots that counties were able to process ahead of time. Minnesota law allows counties to begin processing and scanning absentee ballots 18 days before the election, but no totals can be generated or released until after the polls close.
The Cadence: How Often Do Results Update?
There is no fixed, perfectly timed interval for updates. Instead, results are reported continuously throughout the night as counties complete their tabulations and upload them. This often happens in batches, leading to bursts of new numbers followed by quieter periods. A change in 2023 extended the deadline for absentee ballots to be received from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. Because of this, counties may process these last-minute ballots before reporting their initial results, which could mean the first big wave of numbers appears slightly later than in past elections. The Secretary of State's site also features a page to track the number of unprocessed absentee ballots, providing context for what vote is still left to be counted.
Beyond the Horse Race: Turnout and Other Data
While most eyes are on the candidate totals, the state also publishes other valuable information. The results pages often include turnout statistics, showing how many registered voters cast a ballot in a given area. Historical data, such as results from previous elections, voter registration trends, and detailed maps, are also available for context. For certain ballot questions, like constitutional amendments, the reporting is different; it shows the 'yes' and 'no' votes against the total number of voters in the election, as a majority of all voters is required for passage. This deeper data helps paint a more complete picture of the election beyond just who won or lost.
The Final Steps: Canvassing and Certification
News organizations may 'call' a race on election night based on their statistical models, but the state's job is to count every vote and certify the official outcome. This happens in the days following the election. County canvassing boards—typically composed of local officials—meet to review and certify the results for local and county-level races. They then send their reports to the state. Finally, the State Canvassing Board meets to review the county reports and officially certify the results for all statewide and federal offices. This multi-step verification process, including post-election hand-count audits in randomly selected precincts, ensures the final tally is accurate.
