Minnesota primary results remain unofficial before Aug. 18 certification

Minnesota’s Aug. 11, 2026, primary produced apparent nominees in statewide, congressional and legislative races, but results for federal and state offices remain unofficial as county officials complete the canvassing process.

The next key date is Tuesday, Aug. 18, when the Minnesota State Canvassing Board is scheduled to review certified county reports and certify nominee names. Until that meeting, posted totals can change if officials correct clerical or reporting errors.

What the primary decided

The primary narrowed the November contests, including the U.S. Senate race. The Associated Press reported that Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan won the Democratic Senate primary and Michele Tafoya won the Republican Senate primary. Those are apparent outcomes based on the unofficial results and remain subject to Minnesota’s certification process.

The Secretary of State’s election-results page lists statewide, congressional and legislative totals from the Aug. 11 primary. It also says results for state and federal offices are unofficial until the State Canvassing Board meets Aug. 18. County, municipal and school-district races follow separate canvassing authorities and timelines.

Why the results are not final

Election-night numbers are the first public count, not the final certified result. After voting ends, county election officials audit and proof their work, checking reported totals and correcting errors such as transposed digits or other data-entry mistakes.

County canvassing boards then review and approve the results. Each county sends a signed, certified report to the Secretary of State. The state office incorporates those reports into a statewide canvass for the State Canvassing Board.

Minnesota has 87 counties. The Secretary of State’s canvassing-board guidance says the state board certifies federal and statewide offices, along with legislative and judicial races that cross county lines. County canvassing boards handle races contained entirely within a county, while municipalities and school districts have their own canvassing boards.

What happens Aug. 18

The State Canvassing Board is scheduled to meet seven days after the state primary. It will canvass the certified county reports and immediately certify nominee names to the counties.

The board has five members: the secretary of state, who serves as chair; two members of the Minnesota Supreme Court appointed by the secretary; and two district court judges appointed by the secretary.

Aug. 18 certification will make the state and federal primary results official for the certification stage. Minnesota law still allows qualifying recounts, and the Secretary of State says a completed recount can amend official results. A recount request is not the same as a completed recount or a changed outcome.

Recount deadlines vary by race

For federal, multi-county state and multi-county judicial primary races, a publicly funded recount is available only if the statutory conditions exist. If a condition applies, the State Canvassing Board must notify the candidate after the Aug. 18 canvass. The candidate’s written request must reach the filing officer by 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20, according to the Secretary of State’s 2026 elections calendar.

Candidates in those federal and multi-county races may also request a discretionary recount during the Aug. 18-24 period listed on the calendar. A discretionary recount does not delay delivery of the notice of nomination to the winning candidate.

Single-county state and single-county judicial primary races have a separate publicly funded recount procedure. The calendar lists the period as Aug. 13-16, with the precise deadline tied to when the county canvass occurs. The calendar also lists Aug. 13-19 for discretionary recount requests in single-county state and judicial races. County, city and school-district races have separate recount procedures administered by the relevant local jurisdiction.

Those deadlines describe available procedures; they do not show that any recount has been requested. Any filing would need to be independently confirmed with the appropriate filing officer or election authority.

What voters should watch next

Residents should check the Secretary of State’s results page and their county election office for certification updates, recount filings and amended totals. The Aug. 18 State Canvassing Board meeting is the next statewide milestone.

The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Absentee voting is scheduled to begin Friday, Sept. 18, and continue through Monday, Nov. 2. The election calendar says Minnesota election law controls and that legislative changes could alter calendar information.

For now, the practical distinction is straightforward: the numbers posted after the primary are unofficial, the Aug. 18 canvass is scheduled to certify nominees, and only a completed recount can change an official result after that certification.

Sources

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