FOR SHARING: How, Where, When to Vote

If you are interested in learning how to be an Election Protection volunteer through Common Cause, click here.

If you need a ride to the polls, anywhere in the state, click here.

All information from the Secretary of State office

• To vote, you must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old on Election Day, and a resident of Minnesota for at least 20 days.
• To make it easier for all eligible Minnesotans to vote, you can vote by mail, early in person, or on election day. Local election officials track ballots to ensure each voter only casts one.
• You can vote if you are not currently incarcerated for the felony offense, or if you are not under a court order that revokes your right to vote.

Find the sample ballot for your area here. You can take this with you as notes when you vote.

Facts about how the state ensures that elections are free, fair, secure, and accurate.

Electronic ballot tabulators have been used in Minnesota for decades, are tested by local election officials for accurate performance before and after elections — a process that is open to the public. This also ensures the chain of custody, as this data is recorded on election day; paper ballots are kept for 22 months as backups, for random verification checks, and for challenges.

Early Voting: September 18 to November 2

You can vote early if you cannot or do not want to vote on Election Day.

Voting by mail with an absentee ballot began September 18.

• You can have an absentee ballot mailed to you via mnvotes.gov/absentee.
• You can mail in an absentee ballot or deliver to a specific drop-in ballot location. [If mailing in, you might allow two weeks for this to arrive prior to the election day cutoff.]
• About 150,000 Minnesotans live in small (under 400 population) areas that allow opt-in mail balloting, rather than supporting a polling location.
• An agent can deliver your ballot if you are in a nursing home, hospitalized, or other circumstances that prohibit travel.

Early voting at specific locations begins October 16.

• Early voting is now available in all 87 counties. Some locations will have one-day options.
• In-person voters place their ballot directly into the electronic ballot tabulator. Find your voting location and hours here.
• If you vote by mail, and then are able to vote in person, only one ballot per registered name will be validated.

Early voting extended hours

• Saturday, October 24: 9am-3pm
• Tuesday, October 27: until 7pm
• Saturday, October 31: 9am-3pm
• Sunday, November 1: 9am-3pm
• Monday, November 2: until 5pm

You can track your ballot here.

Register to Vote: by October 13

• You must be registered to vote at your current address.
• To register or update your registration, go to mnvotes.gov/register
• You can register at your polling place on Election Day. You must show proof of your name and current address. Call 1-877-600-VOTE with questions. Learn what is considered proof here.
• Registration data does not record demographic data beyond birthdate or include party registration information.
• After your registration information is processed, a postcard is mailed to your address as a check, and databases are searched to verify that your eligibility is intact.

Election Day: November 3

• Most polling places open at 7am, except some rural areas in Minnesota that open at 10am. All polling places close at 8pm. You will be allowed to vote if you are in line by 8pm.
• If you are registered to vote at your current address, you do not need to bring identification. You will simply need to sign next to your name on the registration list of voters. (See above if you need to register as a new voter or you have moved to a different polling district.)
• If you did not register as a new voter before Election Day, you must show proof of your current address, such as a current Minnesota driver’s license or state ID, or a photo ID that shows your old address along with a bill that shows your current address.

To find out where you vote, visit mnvotes.gov/pollfinder

You have a right to take time off work to vote without losing your pay, personal leave, or vacation time.

Your employer must pay you for the time you need to vote, if it falls within your scheduled work time. Your employer cannot require you to use personal leave or vacation time. Take only as much time as you need to vote and go to work. Any employer that violates this law is guilty of a misdemeanor Any complaints from employees should be filed with the county attorney. Visit mnvotes.gov to find a letter you can give to your employer explaining your right to time off for voting.

Polling Place Rules

• Campaigning is not allowed and political materials cannot be worn.
• Only authorized people are allowed inside a polling place during voting hours, such as voters and their minor children, poll workers and someone assisting a voter. People may not gather or linger in the polling place or within 100 feet of the building.

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