Voting underway as Cook County prepares for Aug. 11 primary

Voting is already underway in Cook County ahead of Minnesota’s Aug. 11 primary election, which features one local county race along with several statewide partisan races.

While every registered voter in Cook County will receive a ballot, only voters in Commissioner District 1 will decide the local race. Three candidates filed for the District 1 county commissioner seat, prompting a primary.

The three candidates who filed in District 1 are Deb White (incumbent), Matt Kelm, and Christine Childs.

All voters will cast ballots in partisan primary races, including contests for U.S. senator, U.S. representative for the 8th District, governor, secretary of state, state auditor, and attorney general.

With early voting, mail-in ballots and absentee voting available, Cook County voters have already been casting ballots for several weeks. Cook County Elections Administrator Cortnee Bernier said the total number of returned ballots is 710 as of Monday.

This election also marks the county’s first use of early in-person voting, which began 18 days before Election Day.

Cook County Auditor-Treasurer Braidy Powers said turnout appears “normal” so far for a primary election. He said typically high voter participation is driven by contested local races.

For voters casting ballots in person, Grand Marais East voters will use a new polling location this year at Grand Marais City Hall. Grand Marais West voters will continue voting at the Cook County Community Center.

Outside the city, most voters automatically receive mail ballots. Powers encouraged anyone planning to return a ballot by mail to do so as soon as possible.

“You know, this day and age, we’re recommending a week away,” Powers said.

Mail ballots can be returned until 8 p.m. on Election Day, Aug. 11. Voters delivering an absentee ballot in person must do so by 3 p.m. Aug. 11.

Completed ballots may also be returned using the secure ballot drop box outside the Cook County Courthouse.

“There’s a ballot box out front. We’ve been using that for several years, and that is still a location where people can drop off their ballots if they choose not to enter the courthouse with their envelopes,” Powers said.

Before Election Day, the county will conduct a public accuracy test of its ballot-counting equipment at 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 7, in the ITV Room at the Cook County Courthouse. The test is open to the public.

“The public accuracy test is just proving out that the ballot counters are coming up with the correct totals,” Powers said. “It’s open to the public, and we test three precincts in the county and run it through and show that the vote totals are all matching up to the test.”

The Cook County Board of Commissioners recently approved 48 election judges to assist with the primary and November general election. In addition to staffing polling places, election judges will help process absentee and mail ballots before Election Day, though vote totals are not tabulated until after polls close.

Powers said election judges play a significant role in assisting with elections. “You couldn’t do it without them.”

WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins spoke with Cook County Auditor-Treasurer Braidy Powers and Elections Administrator Cortnee Bernier about the upcoming Aug. 11 primary election and what Cook County voters should know before Election Day. Audio is available below.

Kalli Hawkins August 5, 2026