'Yes' Votes Lead In MN Lottery Funds Ballot Question

ST. PAUL, MN — Should proceeds from the Minnesota Lottery continue to fund state wildlife and outdoor projects? That's the constitutional amendment question that voters answered at polling locations throughout the state on Tuesday.

As of 11:38 p.m., "Yes" votes lead by a wide margin.

Three times in the past 35 years, a strong majority of Minnesotans voted in favor of the practice, known as the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund.

If voters reject the ballot measure, funds from the Minnesota Lottery will go to a general pot that state lawmakers could spend on anything.

Patch will provide live results of how Minnesotans voted

Precincts Reporting in State: 64.49%, 2,646 of 4,103
Last Updated: 11/05/24 11:38 PM

Yes: 1,546,679
No: 329,423
Estimated Blanks: 129,108 (count as NO votes)
Estimated Total Number of Voters: 2,005,210
Estimated Percent of YES: 77.13%

Conservation Minnesota led the Minnesotans for Our Great Outdoors campaign, which advocated for again voting "Yes" on the initiative.

• For full coverage of the election in Minnesota, go here.

"Minnesotans value our Great Outdoors. It’s part of what makes our state special, and voters understand that protecting our parks, trails, and wildlife requires funding. Every time renewing lottery funds has been on the ballot, over 70% of voters have voted Yes," Marcus Starr, Campaigns Director at Conservation Minnesota, told Patch.

"Renewing lottery funding is not controversial and it’s not a tax increase. Minnesotans from every corner of the state have benefited from this funding."

See below how the question was presented on ballots. Failure to vote on a constitutional amendment will have the same effect as voting no on the amendment.

Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund Renewal

Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to protect drinking water sources and the water quality of lakes, rivers, and streams; conserve wildlife habitat and natural areas; improve air quality; and expand access to parks and trails by extending the transfer of proceeds from the state-operated lottery to the environment and natural resources trust fund, and to dedicate the proceeds for these purposes?

Yes

No

Since 1991, the fund has provided approximately $700 million to more than 1,700 projects around the state, according to the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).

The LCCMR makes the funding recommendations to the legislature. It is made up five state senators, five state representatives, and seven citizens appointed by the governor, Senate, and the House.

Recently funded projects include:

• Crane Lake Voyageurs National Park Campground and Visitor Center
• Monitoring Emerging Viruses in Minnesota’s Urban Water
• Reintroducing Bison to Spring Lake Park Reserve (Dakota County)
• Mesabi Bike Trail Expansion (Grand Rapids to Ely)

Find a full list of projects here.

How lottery dollars have been spent since 1991:

• Minnesota State General Fund: $2.2 billion
• Environment, fish and gaming, and other wildlife projects: $1.7 billion
• Responsible gaming initiatives: $57 million
• Other state projects: $57 million