The Tale of Two States

When you can vote in two different states, which state do you vote in?

By: Ava Ewald

Where do you vote when you reside in two states? Some out-of-state students not only have to consider who to vote for, but where they want their vote counted.

I grew up in Victoria, MN, about 40 minutes away from Minneapolis. In the two elections I have voted in, I chose to vote at home rather than Minneapolis. It did not seem to make much of a difference to me since local elections are not usually as high-stakes as presidential elections. 

Had I been of voting age in the 2016 election and able to choose between Minnesota and other states, I would have done more research on each state’s voting history. I imagine this is what many out-of-state students are all too aware of, especially coming out of the 2016 election, when states flipped by a miniscule number of votes. They know what their values are and where to put their vote to make it the most impactful.

This choice is mandated by the state of Minnesota. The Minnesota Secretary of State says that “if you moved to Minnesota from another state and currently consider Minnesota your home, you can vote here even if you pay out-of-state tuition or have a driver’s license from another state.” So out-of-state students are allowed to choose which state they want to vote in. So how do they choose?

Some students are voting in their home states:

Connor Ranck from Kansas said, “In Kansas, state politics are really important and there’s currently a Republican supermajority in both the House and Senate… I decided to stay registered and to vote in Kansas because of the importance of our statewide elections, along with ensuring that Congresswoman Davids stays in office.”

Rachel Czerwinski from Wisconsin said, “I am voting in Wisconsin because I know they are a swing state whereas Minnesota is more likely to vote along with my ideals. I felt like my vote was needed more in Wisconsin.”

Anna Kimball from Iowa said, “I’m voting in Iowa. I mostly chose to vote there because both Minnesota and Iowa were swing states in the election this year but there is an opportunity to flip the Senate seat in Iowa as it’s a really tight race. I also felt that my district in Minnesota is already overwhelmingly Democratic so I didn’t think it was as important as voting in my district in Iowa which often switches from election to election.”

These students are using their votes to influence party shifts in their home states rather than voting in a state that is already aligned with their ideals. Others come from swing states which can have razor-thin margins in presidential elections. These students feel that Minnesota is less likely to flip than their home states.

Other students are voting in Minnesota:

Evan Berg from South Dakota said, “Basically I decided to vote here because I knew how slow the mail-in process can be when voting absentee in South Dakota. During the last congressional election I voted absentee, and it took a lot longer than I thought it would to get the ballot to me, leaving me not a lot of time to mail it back in on time. So my logic was that with some of news that’s been happening around the Post Office it might be a safer bet to just vote in Minnesota this time to ensure my vote gets counted.”

The Trump administration has put strain on the U.S. Postal Service ahead of this year’s election, leaving many, like Berg, worried about whether their mail-in ballot will be counted. I also chose to mail in my ballot and was concerned about this. If you’re reading this and want to make sure your vote was counted, most states’ Secretary of State websites offer absentee ballot tracking.

Abbey Rhone from South Dakota said, “For me, I knew that coming from South Dakota, my vote wouldn’t mean that much. South Dakota has been a solidly Republican state for as long as I can remember. Since this election is so important, I knew that voting in a swing state is where I would be able to make the most impact. Plus, last year, I had to vote for the primaries in Minnesota since South Dakota’s primary is so late that the candidates are usually already decided by the time South Dakota votes.” 

Rhone knew her vote would not affect much change in her home state. She made the decision to vote in Minnesota, which is often more of a swing state than South Dakota, to make sure her vote had the greatest impact.

Bailey Newell from Missouri said, “I vote in Minnesota and I have voted in Minnesota since freshman year. My whole thought process behind it is I don’t intend to go back to Kansas City, or I didn’t at the time. So I thought I might as well start voting here even though my votes are probably needed in Missouri more than in Minneapolis.”

Evan Rowe from New Jersey said, “I guess I’m voting in the state where I’m currently going to school because it’s where I spend most of the year. I want to have a voice in Minnesota politics and decide what Congresspeople/state legislators represent me because their policies will have a bigger effect on my life as a student compared to New Jersey politicians.”

Some students chose to vote in the state that they consider home, which is now Minnesota. Because they reside here most of the time, they want to have a say in Minnesota issues.

From wanting to influence state politics to feeling the need to vote where they consider home, out-of-state students had a plethora of reasons for voting in the state they did. In an election this divisive, seemingly small decisions like these may have a lasting effect on our nation.