Minnesota officials say 2024 elections ran smoothly overall but flag ballot‑proof, chain‑of‑custody issues

Secretary of State Steve Simon told the Senate Elections Committee on Jan. 28 that Minnesota’s three 2024 statewide elections produced high turnout and were “low drama,” while officials flagged several operational problems the office and counties will address before 2026.

Simon, joined by Paul Linnell, the office’s director of elections, and Bill Ekblad, the state election security navigator, briefed senators on turnout, outreach, voting methods, voting‑system certification, post‑election audits and security supports for counties.

The presentation highlighted a 2024 general election turnout of 3,272,414 ballots — about 76.4% of the voting‑eligible population — and that more than 1.3 million ballots (roughly 39% of total votes) were cast before Election Day. Simon said the office and local partners registered roughly 99,000 permanent absentee voters and translated voter materials into multiple languages to assist precincts designated as language‑minority districts.

Why it matters: Minnesota’s high turnout and the state’s post‑election audits and recounts bolster public confidence in results, officials said, but recent localized errors underscore the need for clearer county guidance on ballot proofs, chain‑of‑custody procedures and results uploads.

What officials told the committee

Steve Simon, Minnesota secretary of state, said Minnesota again ranked near the top nationally in turnout and that the state’s outreach — including a large student mock election program and the Restore the Vote effort — expanded access. “We had high turnout and low drama,” Simon said, summarizing the year, and…