ST. PAUL, Minn. — Secretary of State Steve Simon said that an unusually high number of absentee ballots, 423.000, had been returned for the primary election and accepted as of Monday. The surge was attributed to the coronavirus pandemic, which caused many people to avoid the contamination hazards of in-person voting. While the counting of absentee ballots begins when polling places close Tuesday, Simon said the effect of mail-in ballots may not be known until Thursday, when he expects all counting will be complete.
