Minnesota Voting Guide

Additional Information on Voting Registration

There are some people who may face additional challenges or questions registering. 

For students: You should register to vote at the address that you consider to be your home. If you consider your parents' address to be your home, you should register that address. If your home is out of state, you will need to request an absentee ballot from that state. If you now reside on a Minnesota college campus and consider that your home, you can choose to vote in Minnesota if you meet the eligibility criteria (even if you pay out-of-state tuition and have an out-of-state drivers' license).

For survivors of violence: Your name and address become public information when you register to vote. Minnesota participates in the Safe at Home Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) to protect people at risk of violence. If you plan to participate in the Safe at Home program, do not register to vote or update your registration online.

For homeless or impermanent voters: Minnesota makes it easy to vote if you are experiencing homelessness. You can register to vote using the place you sleep as your address. If that is not a residence but is an outside location, write in the description. If you register before Election Day and list an outdoor location, you may be asked to swear under oath that the location is where you are living. You can also register to vote on Election Day. Someone from your precinct who is registered to vote can go with you to confirm where you are living.

For convicted felons: If you were convicted of a felony crime, your right to vote was temporarily suspended while you were serving your sentence. As soon as you are “off-paper," you can re-register to vote.

Are you registered to vote? Check here to find out.

When is Minnesota's voter registration deadline?

Your voter registration application must be received by 5 p.m. 21 days prior to Election Day. Registration closes for 20 days before Election Day and then re-opens when the polls open on Election Day. Minnesota has same-day voter registration. You can register at your polling place. Be sure to bring required identification if you do so.

How do I request an absentee ballot in Minnesota?

Any registered voter can choose to vote by absentee/early ballot, starting 46 days before Election Day.

Voting by mail in Minnesota

You can apply to vote by mail any time up to Election Day, but be sure to leave enough time for your ballot to arrive by mail and be received by election officials no later than Election Day. You will need a witness when you complete your ballot. That can be another registered Minnesota voter or a notary.

You can apply to have all ballots going forward sent to you by mail. You can also vote early, in person, at your county election office or at your community's in-person absentee voting location. Call your city clerk for more information.

If you are a military member or are living overseas, use the FVAP website to request an absentee ballot.

What do I need to bring to the polls in Minnesota?

You do not need identification at the polls unless you are registering to vote on Election Day at your polling station. If so, you will need to bring:

• A valid photo ID, such as a drivers' license, drivers' permit, state ID card, college ID card, tribal ID card
• Voter registration card from your precinct (it can show a different name or address – for example, if you were recently married or moved)
• An expired photo ID if you also have another type of proof of residency, such as a utility bill, lease or rent receipt that lists your name and address, dated within 30 days of Election Day.

You can also have a registered voter who resides in your voting precinct or an employee of a residential facility where you live confirm your address.

What special accommodations are available?

Every polling place in Minnesota is required to be handicap accessible for elder voters and those with disabilities. Contact your city or township clerk if a polling place is not accessible. You can also vote “curbside" from your vehicle if you cannot get into the building.

You can have a family member or friend help you vote if you need assistance (but not your employer or your union or a political candidate). You can also ask a poll worker for assistance. You can have help getting into your polling place, using the voting machine, reading or marking your ballot.

Most polling places have a special ballot marking machine to help voters with disabilities mark their ballots with privacy. That machine has a large-print display screen that can be displayed in high contrast. It can also be used with headphones for audio assistance. You can fill in a ballot using a Braille keypad or a sip-and-puff device. The machine prints your completed ballot and you deliver it to the ballot machine just as every other voter.

What do I do if I see something illegal at the polls?

Learn more about Minnesota's commitment to secure and fair elections at the Office of the Secretary of State Website.

If you believe you witnessed or experienced election misconduct, voter intimidation, or discrimination when you went to vote, you can file a complaint with your county attorney. You can complete and submit the Minnesota State Election Law Complaint Form.

If you have information about false campaign materials, improper campaigning, vote buying, campaign finance violations, or other prohibited activities, you can file a Campaign Practices Complaint Form with the Minnesota Office of Administrative Hearings.

If you had difficulties or were unable to vote due to violation of the Help America Vote Act for persons with disabilities, you can file a Help America Vote Act (HAVA) Complaint Form with the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State. Again, the form will need to be notarized or signed by an election judge at the polling place on Election Day.

You can also report voting law violations to the U.S. Department of Justice. Or you may choose to contact a local Minnesota attorney experienced in voting law if you feel your voting rights have been violated.