Voter Registration
Registration Deadline: In Minnesota, you may register 21 days before Election Day or on Election Day at your polling place. The deadline to register online is 11:59 p.m., 21 days before Election Day. The deadline to register on paper is 5 p.m., 21 days before Election Day.
Party Affiliation: Minnesota does not have political party registration. Voters are not asked to publicly declare affiliation with a political party.
Voter Registration Qualifications
Age: Must be at least 18 years old on Election Day
Citizenship: Must be a United States citizen
Residency: Must be a resident of Minnesota for 20 days
Mental Competency: You can vote while under guardianship unless a judge specifically has revoked your right to vote. You cannot vote if a court has ruled that you are legally incompetent.
Felony Convictions: Must be finished with all parts of any felony sentence
Obtaining a Voter Registration Form
Online: Minnesota voter registration application
Before You Begin:
You will need an email address. Use a paper application if you don't have one.
You will need your Minnesota driver’s license or Minnesota identification card number. If you don't have one of these, you may use the last four numbers of your Social Security number. If you don't have either of these, use a paper application.
If you are a participant in Minnesota’s Safe at Home Address Confidentiality Program, do not register to vote or update your registration online. Contact Safe at Home at 1-866-723-3035.
In person: You may register at your polling place on Election Day as long as you bring proof of residence with you. For more click here
By mail/ in writing: You may register to vote by completing an application and mailing it to the Secretary of State’s Office or your local election official. Click on this link to view Voter Registration forms in a different language.
Verifying Your Voter Registration Status
Online: Minnesota voter registration verification
Obtaining an Absentee Ballot
In person: All voters can vote early in person with an absentee ballot at your county election office. In addition to your county election office, some cities and towns offer in-person absentee voting. Check with your city clerk's office for more information.
For most elections, absentee voting locations must be open during their normal business hours starting 46 days before the election. In addition, locations offering absentee ballots for federal, state or county elections must be open:
-The last Saturday before Election Day (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.)
-The day before Election Day until 5 p.m.
-This does not apply to school districts holding standalone elections.
Some local jurisdictions may provide additional absentee voting days or hours beyond the above required days and times. Call your jurisdiction for more information.
By mail: In order to vote absentee by mail, you need to complete an absentee ballot application and submit it to your local election official by mail, fax, or email. You can apply for a ballot any time during the year, except the day of the election. Leave time for election officials to mail your ballot and for you to return it on or before Election Day.
Military and overseas voting: Military and overseas voters may apply for the FPCA(Federal Post Card Application) with no due dates, however, ballots must arrive no later than election day to be counted. You cannot return your ballot by email or fax. More information and applications available.
Submitting an Absentee Ballot
Location and time: Once you receive your ballot in the mail, follow the instructions carefully. You will need a witness when you vote and complete your ballot.(NOTE: Due to COVID19, there is no witness requirement for registered voters for the November 3, 2020 State General Election. Non-registered voters will still need a witness, to indicate their proof of residence.) The witness can be either a registered Minnesota voter or a notary. Your witness must sign the signature envelope and list their address. Notaries should write their name and title, sign the signature envelope, and affix their notary stamp.
Your ballot will not count if it is received after Election Day. It must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by your county within the next seven calendar days. Return your ballot by mail or package delivery service. You can also return your ballot in person no later than 3 p.m. on Election Day to the election office that sent your ballot. You can drop off ballots for up to three other voters. You will need to show identification with name and signature when returning a ballot for someone else.You may not drop your ballot off at your polling place on election day.
VOTING ON ELECTION DAY
Polling places are usually open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. As long as you're in line by 8 p.m., you can vote, even if you do not reach the front of the line until after 8 p.m.
You have a right to time off work to vote, without losing your pay, personal leave, or vacation time.
If you are registered to vote, your name will be on a list of voters. You just need to write your signature next to your name. If you are registered, you do not need to show an ID when you sign in.
If you did not register before Election Day, you must show proof of your current address. See a list of all the types of ID and documents you can bring.
In the polling place, you cannot display campaign t-shirts, buttons or literature which relate to specific candidates, official political parties, or ballot questions on the ballot that day. You will need to either cover up or remove these items while in the polling place.
Click here for more Polling Place Rules.
COLLEGE STUDENTS
You should register to vote from the address you currently consider home. For many students, this is likely a school address or a parent’s house. If you still go back to visit but no longer consider it your home, then you should register to vote where you live at school.
If you moved to Minnesota from another state and currently consider Minnesota your home, you can vote here even if you pay out-of-state tuition or have a driver’s license from another state.
If you do not consider your school address to be your home, you can apply to vote by mail with an absentee ballot.
For more information click here
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Deciding how to vote: https://votesmart.org/
Polling Place:Minnesota polling places
Getting your vote counted: Here are your Rights
Problems with voting: Minnesota Election Complaint Forms.
Verifying absentee ballot status: Absentee ballot status
Need help: Call us at 1-877-600-VOTE (8683) or contact your county election office.
