Unofficial estimates by the Minnesota secretary of state's office showed that Tuesday's primary election notched very low turnout.
Just over 280,000 voters cast ballots, roughly 7 percent of eligible voters. There are nearly 3.97 million eligible voters in Minnesota.
Secretary of State Steve Simon blamed the absence of statewide races and the August date for the election as two reasons for the low turnout.
"We can do better on primary election turnout," Simon said in a tweet. "(Numbers) reflect absence of partisan statewide race, but the August date is not serving us well."
Simon, a former House legislator who focused on elections law, said August is a bad month to hold a primary eleciton. "Most people are trying to squeeze in the last few drops of summer," he said, adding that many might not be paying attention to elections.
He has advocated for holding the primary election in June, saying Minnesotans, who routinely turn out in high numbers to vote, would likely participate if the law were changed.
"We know Minnesotans like to vote," he said. "We're not a tuned out electorate."
