No, Minnesota ballot envelopes don't list voter's political party | Fact check
The claim: Minnesota ballot envelopes are marked with voters' political party
An Aug. 7 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows pictures of a Minnesota ballot beside a ballot envelope with an "R" printed on the front.
"Did you know that in Minnesota they mark your party affiliation on the outside of the envelope for your mail-in ballot?" reads part of the post's caption. "Now why would they do that? To tip off corrupt men and women delivering or receiving that mail to discard those Republican ballots?"
Other versions of the claim were shared on Facebook and X, formerly Twitter.
More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page
Our rating: False
The "R" on the envelope indicates the voter was sent registered absentee ballot materials. Minnesota doesn't require voters to declare a party when they register, meaning voters can decide which party's primaries to participate in when filling out their ballot.
No political party marking on MN ballot envelopes
The "R" marking shown in the post doesn't signify that the voter is affiliated with the Republican Party, it "indicates that the voter was sent registered absentee ballot materials," according to Cassondra Knudson, a Minnesota Secretary of State spokesperson.
"Political party affiliation is not part of the voter registration process in Minnesota," she said, echoing information on the Minnesota Secretary of State's website.
The state has an open primary, which means voters can participate in either party's primary when filling out their ballot, according to the website. The ballot pictured in the post backs this up, showing the option to vote for either the Republican Party or the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.
In most cases, a voter's choice of primary remains private, the website says, but in presidential primaries, the major party chair receives a list of voters who chose their party's ballot.
The National Conference of State Legislatures' website lists Minnesota as one of numerous states with open primaries but notes voters' choice of ballot "does not register the voter with that party."
Fact check: False claim Biden 'can't withdraw' from ballots in Wisconsin, Nevada
The Minnesota Secretary of State's website includes samples of ballot envelopes for both primary and general elections and none of them show any form of party indication. Instead, they provide space for the voter's name, address, and in some cases, their signature.
USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Lead Stories also debunked the claim.
Our fact-check sources:
Cassondra Knudson, Aug. 8, Email exchange with USA TODAY
Minnesota Secretary of State, accessed Aug. 8, Common Registration Questions
Minnesota Secretary of State, May 4, 2016, Absentee Ballot Transmittal Envelope
Minnesota Secretary of State, May 18, 2018, UOCAVA Transmittal Envelope
Minnesota Secretary of State, July 19, 2019, Signature Envelope
National Conference State Legislatures, Feb. 6, State Primary Election Types
Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here.
USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: No indication of party on Minnesota ballot envelopes | Fact check