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Minnesota elections, 2012
| Contents |
|---|
| 1 2012 Elections |
| 2 Eligibility to Vote |
| 2.1 Primary election |
| 2.2 General election |
| 3 Voting absentee |
| 3.1 Eligibility |
| 3.2 Deadlines |
| 3.3 Military and overseas voting |
| 4 Voting early |
| 5 See also |
| 6 References |
The state of Minnesota held elections in 2012. Below are the dates of note:
- Signature filing deadline: June 5, 2012
- Primary date: August 14, 2012
- General election date: November 6, 2012
| On the 2012 ballot | Click here for all November 6, 2012 Election Results | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Senate (1 seat) | 
|
Preview Article | |
| U.S. House (8 seats) |
| ||
| State Executives | 
|
N/A | |
| State Senate (67 seats) |
|
Preview Article | |
| State House (134 seats) |
| ||
| Ballot measures (2 measure) |
|
Preview Article | |
2012 Elections
For election results in the 50 states, see our November 6, 2012 election results page
Elections by type
| U.S. Senate, Minnesota, General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Amy Klobuchar Incumbent |
65.2% | 1,854,595 | |
| Republican | Kurt Bills | 30.5% | 867,974 | |
| Independence | Stephen Williams | 2.6% | 73,539 | |
| Grassroots | Tim Davis | 1.1% | 30,531 | |
| Progressive | Michael Cavlan | 0.5% | 13,986 | |
| Total Votes | 2,843,207 | |||
| Source: Minnesota Secretary of State, "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" | ||||
| Members of the U.S. House from Minnesota -- Partisan Breakdown | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 2012 | After the 2012 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 4 | 5 | |
| Republican Party | 4 | 3 | |
| Total | 8 | 8 | |
| District | General Election Candidates | Incumbent | 2012 Winner | Partisan Switch? |
| 1st |  Tim Walz Allen Quist |
Tim Walz | Tim Walz |
No |
| 2nd | Mike Obermueller John Kline |
John Kline | John Kline |
No |
| 3rd | Brian Barnes Erik Paulsen |
Erik Paulsen | Erik Paulsen |
No |
| 4th | Betty McCollum Tony Hernandez Steve Carlson |
Betty McCollum | Betty McCollum |
No |
| 5th | Keith Ellison Chris Fields |
Keith Ellison | Keith Ellison |
No |
| 6th | Jim Graves Michele Bachmann |
Michele Bachmann | Michele Bachmann |
No |
| 7th | Collin Peterson Lee Byberg Adam Steele |
Collin Peterson | Collin Peterson |
No |
| 8th | Rick Nolan Chip Cravaack |
Chip Cravaack | Rick Nolan |
Yes |
- See also: Minnesota State Senate elections, 2012
Heading into the election, Republicans maintained partisan control in the state senate.
| Minnesota State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 5, 2012 | After the 2012 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 30 | 39 | |
| Republican Party | 37 | 28 | |
| Total | 67 | 67 | |
Heading into the election, Republicans maintained partisan control in the state house.
| Minnesota House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 5, 2012 | After the 2012 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 61 | 73 | |
| Republican Party | 72 | 61 | |
| Vacancy | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 134 | 134 | |
- See also: Minnesota 2012 ballot measures
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LRCA | Amendment 1 | Marriage | Would ban same-sex marriage. |
|
| LRCA | Amendment 2 | Elections | Would require people to present photo identification to vote. |
|
Eligibility to Vote
Primary election
- See also: Voting in the 2012 primary elections
Minnesota is one of 19 states to use an open primary system. Voters who wish to register in advance must pre-register at least 21 days before Election Day. However, voters could also register on Election Day at their polling place (Information about registering to vote)
General election
- See also: Voting in the 2012 general elections
The deadline to register to vote is 21 days prior to the election day, which in 2012 was October 16.[1][2]
- Voter ID info
- Residency requirements: Resided in Minnesota for 20 days immediately preceding Election Day[3]
- Same-day registration: Yes[4]
Voting absentee
- See also: Absentee Voting
Eligibility
You are eligible to vote absentee in an election if you cannot make it to the polls on election day for one of the following reasons:
- you are away from home
- you are ill or disabled
- you are an election judge serving in a precinct other than your own
- you are unable to go to the polling place due to a religious observance or belief
- an eligible emergency is declared by the governor or quarantine is declared by the federal or state government.
Deadlines
There is no specific deadline for applying for an absentee ballot. The ballot must then be returned on or before election day for it to be counted.
Military and overseas voting
For full details, visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program here.
Voting early
- See also: Early voting
Minnesota is one of 8 states which allow early voting but require an excuse to vote early. Early voting begins 46 days prior to the election and ends on election day. The average number of days prior to an election that voters can cast an early ballot is 21 days in states with a definitive starting date.
To vote early you need to provide an excuse for why you will be unable to vote at the polls during normal voting hours. The following are valid reasons:
- you will be away from home on election day
- you are ill or disabled
- you are an election judge serving in a precinct other than your own
- unable to go to the polling place due to a religious observance or belief
See also
References
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State "Voter Guide" Accessed May 7, 2012
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State "Registering to Vote" Accessed May 7, 2012
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedmn - ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State "Registering to Vote" Accessed July 12, 2012
