GRAND RAPIDS / BEMIDJI — Early voting is open for the 2026 midterm election, and KAXE News' Election Guide includes information on nearly 300 candidates who will be on Northern Minnesotans' ballots.
The online guides include candidates from all levels of government, from the U.S. Senate to township and hospital boards. New this year, free print editions and printable PDFs are available covering statewide candidates and local races in Aitkin, Beltrami and Cass counties.
KAXE News Director Chelsey Perkins emphasizes that the Election Guide is meant to provide information to empower and inform about voting and elections. The guide makes candidate information available that would not be accessible otherwise.
"There is no other guide like KAXE's. Our team of five journalists fact-checked and formatted these candidate submissions, and there is nothing automated about this process," Perkins said.
"Our guide is truly handcrafted, and we know that effort is well worth it to ensure that our neighbors are receiving accurate information they can trust about local and statewide elections so they can make informed decisions at the polls."
"Our guide is truly handcrafted, and we know that effort is well worth it to ensure that our neighbors are receiving accurate information they can trust."Chelsey Perkins
The KAXE News team reached out to every candidate in a contested race in communities with a population of 100 or more across Northern Minnesota. Races for which none of the candidates submitted answers were not included. Reporters contacted every candidate at least three times using contact information from the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State.
Candidates were prohibited from using AI to generate answers to the questions. The candidate responses were not edited by KAXE News but were published as submitted, including typos and formatting.
KAXE is pleased to offer these guides in a printable .pdf format at no cost for individuals and organizations to print and share or distribute.
- Minnesota Statewide Election Guide (.pdf)
- Aitkin County Election Guide (.pdf)
- Beltrami County Election Guide (.pdf)
- Itasca County Election Guide (.pdf)
The KAXE News team welcomes questions, comments and corrections. Contact news@kaxe.org about the guide and all coverage.
KAXE News will cover 2026 election results on and after Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026.
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