FACT CHECK: X Post Makes False Claim About Minnesota Mail-In Ballots

Christine Sellers | Fact Check Reporter

A post shared on X claims a voter’s party affiliation is marked on envelopes for mail-in ballots in Minnesota.

Verdict: False

The claim is false. A spokesperson for the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.

Fact Check:

An ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted before Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was announced as Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 running mate indicates “nearly 9 in 10 U.S. adults didn’t know enough about him, or had no opinion,” according to The Associated Press. The same poll shows that 6% of Americans had a favorable view of Walz, while 7% had an unfavorable view of him, the outlet reported.

The X post claims a voter’s party affiliation is marked on envelopes for mail-in ballots in Minnesota. “Did you know that in Minnesota they mark your party affiliation on the outside of the envelope for your mail-in ballot?” the post’s caption reads in part. The post features photos of a ballot as well as an envelope with a label bearing the letter “R.”

The claim is false. According to common questions about voter registration that appear on the website for the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office, Minnesota has an open primary and voters “do not declare a party when they register to vote.”

“Voters do not declare a party when they register to vote in Minnesota, so there is nothing to change! Minnesota has an ‘open primary’ so voters choose which party’s primary to participate in when they vote their ballot,” the website indicates.

“In most cases no one will know which party’s primary you voted in. However, for the Presidential Primary, the major party chair will get a list of voters who chose their party’s ballot,” it adds.

Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. In fact, the opposite is true. On August 7, Lead Stories reported the claim was false. Walz also has not publicly commented on the claim. (RELATED: Fact-Checking Recent Claims About Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee Tim Walz)

Furthermore, Cassondra Knudson, a spokesperson for the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office, denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.

“Political party affiliation is not part of the voter registration process in Minnesota. An ‘R’ marking on an absentee ballot envelope such as the one in the picture indicates that the voter was sent registered absentee ballot materials,” Knudson said.

Christine Sellers

Fact Check Reporter

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