65K+ Minnesotans, 25K+ teens pre-registered for election via new system

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Minnesota officials have provided an update on its new automatic voter registration system throughout the state, and how many new Minnesotans are registered to vote in the upcoming presidential election.

What we know

The Minnesota Secretary of State's Office and the Department of Public Safety provided an update on Minnesota’s Automatic Voter Registration System.

Officials in each office say that as of Thursday, 65,339 Minnesotans have been successfully registered to vote through the state’s new system.

Teenagers in the state who are 16 and 17 years old have totaled 25,572 pre-registrations in the new system as well.

How the system works

Automatic Voter Registration allows voting-eligible Minnesotans who are applying or renewing a state-issued ID registration to vote without needing to opt in, given they provide the appropriate documentation.

The system includes a review process by state and local government officials to verify registrants' identity and residence, and confirm their eligibility to vote, according to officials.

The system became operational on April 29, 2024.

Verification process

The Secretary of State's Office and the Department of Public Safety’s Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) division say they are overseeing a two-layer review of all applicant files, which works to correct instances of human error, a press release says.

Minnesotans can expect voter registration processing to take as long as 12 weeks.

Registration Day

Minnesota will join the rest of the nation to hold its 2024 presidential election on Nov. 5, while National Voter Registration day will be held on Sept. 17.