Vote! Your vote really does matter

We know that the COVID-19 pandemic might make you kinda scared to go to your polling place with a bunch of other people to vote in the general election on November 3. But your vote really does count. This year you can vote for the president of this country – and there are many other folks running for other important positions that will affect your life for years.

If you already voted by mail – congratulations – you’re among thousands of people who got it done early.

 If you want to vote in person, but don’t want to wait for November 3, you can vote now at the Early Vote Center, 980 East Hennepin Ave. The Early Vote Center makes early in-person voting more convenient for voters. It’s especially helpful for people who need language support or other special accommodations, such as curbside voting. The Early Vote Center’s hours are 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday until Monday, November 2. Info: vote.minneapolismn.gov/events.

To vote in person on election day, November 3, you need to find out where to vote. Due to the COVID pandemic many voting places have changed. To find out where your neighborhood polling place is go to vote.minneapolismn.gov/voters/where-to-vote/.

Voters can save time: See if you’re registered to vote. Voters can register or check the status of their registrations at vote.minneapolismn.gov/voters/register. Minnesota is one of the great states where you can register to vote on election day.

Look at a sample ballot ahead of time; even bring it with you to refer to when you go to vote.

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.