Minnesota Report
Non-profit estimates 6,096 newly eligible voters cast ballots in 2024 Election
SAINT PAUL – On May 19, 2025, Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon joined with other leaders in the state to highlight new data showing the success of the 2023 Restore the Vote Act.
The newly released data found that at least 6,096 people who were newly eligible to vote as a result of the legislation cast ballots in the 2024 Election. This is about 19.8% of the total number of newly eligible Minnesotans verified. In addition, the data also showed that 9,033 impacted individuals registered to vote in 2024.
The data was compiled and shared by Minnesota Voice, a member-based coalition of 40+ grassroots organizations committed to voter outreach.
Since 2023, the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State has worked closely with other state government offices and non-profit, non-partisan partners to get the message out about the restoration of voting rights for those who have left prison behind. Some examples of this work include:
- Sending letters to every impacted person;
- Secretary Simon visiting all 11 correctional facilities in the state;
- Providing information to parole officers to provide to impacted people as they were released from custody;
- Attending Department of Corrections transitional fairs;
- Running advertisements through Metro Transit; and,
- Creating and sharing information through digital platforms.
“We’re thrilled that so many Minnesotans exercised their newly restored right to vote in 2024,” said Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon. “This achievement is the product of strategic efforts across the state. We knew that we couldn’t just pass a law and expect people to show up at the polls, so we rolled up our sleeves and got to work.”
“After fighting to restore the vote for twenty years in coalition with community partners – taking it all the way up to the Minnesota Supreme Court – the ACLU-MN is thrilled that 19.8% of RTV voters exercised their right to participate in our democracy,” said Paul Sullivan, ACLU-MN Organizer. “Justice-Impacted Minnesotans now have a voice, and we hope that this historically unprecedented turnout result will ensure that lawmakers of all parties take the concerns of this new voting bloc seriously.”
“It’s been a privilege to meet with thousands of incarcerated people across the state of Minnesota as they transition back into their communities,” said League of Women Voters of Minnesota Executive Director Michelle Witte. “We have witnessed directly their enthusiasm for regaining this important civil right.”
“These results and this impact are just the beginning,” said Antonio Williams, Tone Up Leader and Organizer. “When we invest in year-round engagement of the newly Re-enfranchised constituency, we will see our democracy reach its full potential. And those who were once excluded from full civic life will not only see it necessary to vote but they will see a real pathway towards self-determination.”
“It’s been about two decades in the making through relentless organizing, advocacy, and storytelling,” said HwaJeong Kim, Minnesota Voice Executive Director. “After the legislation passed, grassroots organizations like Minnesota Voice and Tone Up, we got to work. We had to knock doors, we did community meetings, we reached out through our networks to ensure that they knew that they mattered, and not just that they mattered, but their vote mattered, and their presence in our democracy matters. Without organizing, these numbers would not be possible. And this was not a top-down victory. This is a people-powered movement that made democracy real for thousands of Minnesotans.”