Ramsey County Board Workshop: Update on 2026 Election Preparations - August 18, 2026

On August 18, 2026, the Ramsey County Board held a workshop to receive updates on election preparations for the 2026 general election, following the August 11 state primary. The workshop covered voter turnout, communication strategies, election security, emergency preparedness, language services, student election judges, contract renewals, and a planned voting system upgrade. No votes were taken during the workshop.

Discussion Items

• Primary Results & Turnout: David Triplett, Deputy Director of Property Tax, Records & Election Services, reported a record number of voters in Ramsey County for a non-presidential primary, exceeding turnout from 2018, 2022, and 2024. The county opened 165 voting locations (163 Ramsey County precincts plus two Hennepin County precincts under contract for St. Anthony). Over 1,500 election judges were deployed on election day, with a waiting list of several hundred for future elections.
• Communications & Voter Information: The elections office redesigned its website to make information more accessible, increased social media content with professional photos, and provided a communications toolkit for community organizations. New public office hours (Q&A sessions) are scheduled for three weeks starting August 20. Staff also coordinate with city partners and community groups to reach voters who are not online.
• Election Security & Emergency Preparedness: An emergency response group including stakeholders from county departments, cities, and law enforcement meets regularly and was active on primary day. Staff have attended state tabletop exercises and conducted de-escalation training. The group coordinates with the Secretary of State's office and has protocols for handling unauthorized observers, law enforcement presence (peace officers restricted to 50 feet from polling places), and polling place disruptions. Commissioners asked about preparedness for federal intervention; staff and board members affirmed commitment to legal integrity and the constitution.
• Voting System Security: Ramsey County uses non-networked voting systems with paper ballots. Ballots are physically transported and audited. The voter registration database is maintained through daily verification, use of social security and public health databases, and post-election audits. The county's voting system (HART) is federally certified by the Election Assistance Commission and state-certified by the Secretary of State. A post-election review will randomly hand-count five precincts to verify accuracy.
• Language Services: The county deploys professional interpreters (e.g., 26 Hmong, 6 Karen, 6 Somali, and Spanish interpreters on primary day) and provides a phone line covering six additional languages. A new virtual translation app (FaceTime-style) was deployed at 36 locations but had limited use (2 calls) during the primary; it will be expanded for the general election.
• Student Election Judges & Teacher Liaisons: The county works with five high schools to recruit up to 300 student election judges per general election. Students are paid $16/hour; a proposed $2/hour increase for all election judges (ranging from $18 to $22/hour) will be brought to the board later. Teacher liaisons coordinate paperwork and training.
• Contracts for Election Services: The county is renewing 16 contracts with 16 municipalities and 4 school districts for election services. Costs are increasing due to inflation, expanded absentee/early voting, new voting booths, and proposed pay increases. The county is not losing money on contracts, according to staff.
• Voting System Upgrade: The current voting system is 11 years old and showing issues. Staff plan to bring an action to the board before the end of 2026 to purchase a new system meeting 2021 federal standards. No federal dollars have been used for election administration in recent years.

Key Outcomes

• No votes taken: The workshop was informational only.
• Follow-ups requested: Commissioners asked for clarification on the definition of "peace officer" for polling place restrictions, the list of five colleges requesting on-campus early voting, and more information on legal support for potential federal action.
• Upcoming actions: The board will receive an action item to approve a $2/hour pay increase for election judges and a separate action to purchase a new voting system before the end of 2026.
• Public office hours: Starting August 20, 2026, the elections office will host three weekly Q&A sessions for residents.
• Contract timeline: Contracts for election services will be sent to cities and school districts by end of August, with board action expected before year-end.