We did it! 

For the third election in a row, Minnesota is #1 in America in voter turnout. When I first became Secretary of State after the 2014 election, Minnesota was #6 in the nation. But in 2016, 2018, and now 2020 we claimed the top spot. At 79.96% of eligible voters, our 2020 turnout was not only the best in the country, but the highest in Minnesota since 1956.

Getting to #1 in 2020 was particularly challenging. The spread of COVID-19 meant that we had to administer a statewide election with public health in mind. We strongly urged people to consider voting from home, and they responded in record numbers. Of the nearly 3.3 million people who voted this year, 58% voted early - mostly by mail. And thanks to a lot of hard work and planning, Minnesota had plenty of poll workers, ample PPE to make polling places safe, no conflicts or violence near polling sites, and no credible reports of voter misconduct.

The success of Minnesota's 2020 election belongs to many people throughout the state. Voters adapted, and election administrators in counties and cities everywhere put in heroic efforts despite significant barriers. The result makes Minnesota a model for the nation once again. 

I like to say I'm in "the democracy business." Business boomed this year - despite the pressures of a once-in-a-century pandemic. 

Thanks to you for having my back during a time when I and other Secretaries of State were under intense scrutiny - and were sometimes the target of attacks and lies from those who seemed committed to undermining confidence in our election system. The critics lost. Minnesota's democracy won. I'm truly grateful.