skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

MN Results Expected on Election Night, But Some Contests Could Linger

play audio
Play

Tuesday, October 27, 2020   

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- More than 1 million absentee ballots in Minnesota already have been accepted by the state ahead of next week's election. Officials say having those up-to-date results might mean there won't be as much confusion that night as some have feared.

The surge in absentee voting because of the pandemic has led to discussion about the public not knowing results for various contests until well after Election Day. And in Minnesota, the Legislature has temporarily allowed for ballots to arrive by November 10, as long as they're postmarked by November 3.

Secretary of State Steve Simon said that means totals won't be 100% in that night. But he said that's no reason to panic.

"Just because we may not have 100% of the votes in for a week does not mean that people will be standing around wondering who won every office," Simon said. "That's not the case. In fact, it's far more likely that we'll have winners, outcomes either on Election Night or shortly thereafter."

With the large amount of ballots already in, coupled with a fresh update on how many outstanding ballots there will be on Election Day, Simon said they'll consistently provide the media and public with the information to give them a clearer picture.

But he warned there might be some tight races that could still take several days to be called.

Simon stressed all of the extra policies and procedures going into this year's Election Day and conveying the results are done by design and people should have faith in the system, even if they don't see all precincts reporting on Election Night.

"It's not the product of someone's laziness, or someone's screw-up, or someone failing to plan," he said.

In addition to having an extra week for absentee ballots to be returned, Minnesota also temporarily removed the witness signature requirement for voting by mail. Both of those procedural changes have survived court challenges.

As of last week, the Secretary of State's office reported more than 1.7 million absentee ballots had been requested, with nearly 1.2 million already accepted.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021