Full Breakdown
Mike Lindell to Fund Full Hand Recount of Minnesota GOP Gubernatorial Primary
8/20/2026, 4:09:33 AM
The Recount Initiative
Mike Lindell, founder of MyPillow and former Republican candidate for Minnesota governor, announced that he will privately finance a statewide hand recount and audit of every paper ballot cast in the August 11, 2026 Republican primary. Lindell says the effort is intended to verify the vote total and to demonstrate vulnerabilities he attributes to electronic voting machines.
Background & Context
Minnesota law permits any losing candidate to request a discretionary recount, provided the candidate supplies the required funds within five days of the canvass. Because the margin between Lindell and House Speaker Lisa Demuth exceeds the 0.25 % threshold that triggers an automatic state-funded recount, Lindell must submit a formal request and cover the cost himself. He has claimed that electronic voting equipment produced “irregularities” in the primary’s electronic reporting data.
Timeline
- July 16, 2026 – President Donald J. Trump releases declassified documents about voting-machine security.
- August 11, 2026 – Republican primary for Minnesota governor.
- Later this month – Lindell issues a news release stating his intent to fund the recount and cites “vote totals that moved backwards,” synchronized counts, and counties reporting more votes than cast.
- August 24, 2026 (scheduled) – Deadline for Lindell to deliver a recount request and payment, as set by Secretary of State general counsel Lauren Bethke.
Data & Statistics
- Official estimate of recount cost: $825,000 (letter from Lauren Bethke).
- Lindell’s projection: “upwards of $1 million” to cover additional investigative actions.
- Primary vote totals reported by the Secretary of State: Demuth ? 179,683 votes (43 %); Lindell ? 134,282 votes (32 %); third-place candidate Kendall Qualls ? 88,416 votes (21 %).
- The margin between Demuth and Lindell is roughly 11 percentage points (about 45,000 votes).
Official Statements & Responses
- Lauren Bethke, general counsel for the Minnesota Secretary of State – In a letter dated later this month, Bethke confirmed the $825,000 estimate and reminded Lindell that the request and payment must be received by August 24 to trigger the recount.
- Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Senator and DFL gubernatorial nominee – Previously raised concerns about the concentration of voting-machine vendors, a point Lindell cited as common ground.
Criticism & Opposition
Party officials and the Secretary of State’s office have not raised concerns about the primary results themselves, indicating no official challenge to the certified outcome beyond Lindell’s request.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Verbatim Quote
- “One of the few good election laws Minnesota does have is that as a candidate, I have the right to completely audit and hand count every ballot in the state,” — Mike Lindell, MyPillow founder
These statements capture Lindell’s legal justification and his broader goal of eliminating electronic voting machines.
