Vote by mail, early in person, or at the polls for the State primary August 11
Early voting has begun for the Tuesday, August 11 State primary. Cast your ballot early by mail or in person at the Early Vote Center, 980 East Hennepin Ave. Requested mail-in ballots are now being mailed to Minneapolis voters.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is encouraging voting early by mail, and Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services supports this and other CDC and Minneapolis Department of Health recommendations to make sure every voter in Minneapolis can safely cast their ballots this election year.
Any Minnesota voter can vote early; no reason is needed. However, due to a recent court action, some of the requirements for voting by mail have changed. These affect witness requirements and the deadline for returning your ballot. Currently, these changes only apply to the State primary.
• If you are registered to vote at your current address you will not need a mail ballot witness for the State primary.
• If you have moved, changed names or need to register for the first time, you will need a witness to sign your mail ballot envelope.
For the State primary, a voter’s ballot will count as long as it is postmarked on or before the day of the primary (August 11) and is received in the mail no later than two days after the primary (August 13). This is a change from previous election law requiring mail ballots to be received by the day of the primary. Note that if voters deliver their ballot in-person to the Elections & Voter Services office, it still must be returned by 3 p.m. on the day of the primary.
Find info on how to vote by mail at vote.minneapolismn.gov/voters/bymail.
Voting at the Early Vote Center. The Early Vote Center, 980 East Hennepin Ave., makes early in-person voting more convenient for Minneapolis voters. It’s especially helpful to people who need language support or other special accommodations, such as curbside voting. And while we are in a pandemic, voting early can help people avoid lines and crowds at polling places on the day of the election.
The Early Vote Center’s hours are 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. The center will also have Saturday hours for the last two weekends before the primary. All early voting hours are posted on the Elections & Voter Services website: vote.minneapolismn.gov/events.
Voters can save time by taking these three steps:
* Make sure you’re registered to vote, or pre-register at least 21 days before the election. Voters can register or check the status of their registrations at vote.minneapolismn.gov/voters/register.
* Download and complete the absentee ballot application form in advance, and bring it when you go to vote. Find the request form at vote.minneapolismn.gov/voters/bymail.
* Look at a sample ballot ahead of time; even bring it to refer to when you go to vote. Find your sample ballot at vote.minneapolismn.gov/voters/ballot.
What’s on the ballot? Minneapolis voters will cast ballots for the following primary races:
• U.S. Senator.
• United States Representative (District 5).
• School Board Member At Large
State law allows voters to bring materials into the polls to help complete their ballots — and the sample ballot is the single, best tool available for this purpose. By downloading and printing their sample ballots (which are customized to their specific ward and precinct), voters can practice marking their ballots. They can bring this marked-up sample ballot as a reference to the voting booth when completing their official ballots. This is the best way to reduce the time spent waiting in lines. Find sample ballots at vote.minneapolismn.gov/voters/ballot.