Angela Major | The Janesville Gazette via AP July 20, 2020
Don’t let COVID-19 stop your vote. Here’s how to vote by mail in Minnesota
Good morning and welcome to the new week. We’re starting with some need-to-know information regarding the election.
Something of a break after vicious weekend storms. Much of the state has a chance of evening storms, but the day will be calm. Twin Cities highs in the lower 80s and statewide will be mostly sunny with highs in the mid-70s to lower 80s. More on Updraft | Forecast
But in Minnesota, most people can vote without leaving home. My colleague on the wonderful MPR News digital team, Jiwon Choi, and I put together a guide with answers to all your questions on mail-in voting. The basic steps are these:
Register (if you haven’t already)
Request an absentee ballot
Vote and sign the envelope
Turn in your ballot on time
You can even cancel your mail-in ballot if you change your mind. However, cancellations must happen at least two weeks from Election Day. For more details on this and everything else, check out the guide and video explainer.
It’s looking like mail-in voting will be the safest bet as COVID-19 cases jumped again yesterday. Health officials said an increase in the number of completed test accounted for some of the rise, but not all of it. Sunday’s 737 newly confirmed cases marked the second-largest single-day increase so far this month.
46,204 cases confirmed (737 new) 853,188 via tests
1,541 deaths (3 new)
4,627 cases requiring hospitalization
258 people remain hospitalized; 120 in intensive care
40,001 patients no longer requiring isolation
Minnesota investigators have received some 120 complaints of coronavirus order violations in the past week. They were issues with rules around gathering indoors, particularly at bars and restaurants. Complaints included staff not wearing masks, insufficient social distancing and large crowds. Because of that, Minnesota is “stepping up enforcement,” Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said, “not to play gotcha with restaurants and bars but because we feel it’s so essential” to protect Minnesotans.
