Voting Systems Used in Minnesota

 

 

2002 Map of Voting Systems by County

2000 Map of Voting Systems by County

 

 

What kind of ballots do Minnesota voters use?

 

All voters in Minnesota cast their votes on paper ballots. 

 

How are ballots counted in Minnesota?

 

Ballots may be counted by different methods, but are all counted in public view using the procedures specified in law.  The methods of counting include:

 

1. By the election judges in the polling place (hand count),
2. By optical scan voting equipment in the polling place (precinct count), and
3. By optical scan voting equipment in a central county facility (central count).

 

1. How do election judges count votes (hand count)?

 

After the polls close on election night, teams of election judges (from different major political parties) open the ballot box, remove the ballots, and in public view, total the votes cast for each candidate using procedures specified in law.

 

2. How does precinct count optical scan voting equipment count votes?

 

After completing their ballot, the voter inserts their ballot into voting equipment.  The equipment “reads” the ballot, identifying the votes cast for each candidate.

 

Precinct count optical scan equipment can automatically alert voters to problems with their ballot thus giving the voter an opportunity to correct the error before their ballot is counted.  If a voter has accidentally voted for too many candidates the precinct equipment returns the ballot to the voter allowing them to request a replacement ballot.

 

3. How does central count optical scan voting equipment count votes?

 

After completing their ballot, the voter deposits their ballot into a ballot box.  After the polls close, a team of election judges from different major political parties transports the locked ballot box to the central counting facility.

 

At the central counting facility, typically at the county Auditor’s office, election judges will open the ballot box, remove the ballots, and in public view run the ballots through the optical scan equipment which “reads” the ballot recording the total votes cast for each candidate in the precinct.

 

What models of voting equipment is certified for use in Minnesota?

 

See the Office of the Secretary of State equipment certification page:

 

http://www.sos.state.mn.us/election/votesys.html

 

What types of voting equipment are used in other states?

 

For more information about voting systems and voting equipment used in other states:

 

http://www.fec.gov/elections.html  (see the Administrative Structure of U.S. Elections section)

 

http://www.fairvote.org/administration/votetech.htm

 

http://www.vote.caltech.edu/