Minneapolis voters are among the first in the nation with an opportunity to cast ballots in this year’s presidential election. Starting September 23, any eligible voter can vote early in the general election by mail or in person at one of four locations. The City reminds eligible voters that planning ahead can save time standing in long lines on Election Day.
Absentee voting is easy, any voter may vote early. Early voting (absentee voting) began September 23. Any voter may vote early. Standard hours throughout the absentee voting period are 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. During the final two weeks before the election, these hours will be extended and include weekend times. All early voting hours are posted at vote.minneapolismn.gov.
Early in-person voting is convenient. It especially helps voters who need special accommodations, such as language support, that the extra time, attention and onsite resources of early in-person voting afford more readily than the polls might on Election Day.
Voters may vote early (by absentee ballot) by mail or in person. In-person locations are: Downtown Early Vote Center, 217 S. Third St.; North Early Vote Center, 2100 Plymouth Ave. N., in the Minneapolis Urban League building; South Early Vote Center, 1860 E. 28th St., in the former Roof Depot building; and Northeast Early Vote Center, 2516 Central Ave. NE in the Water Bar building.
Early voters may choose any of the four locations. All of these locations meet state and federal polling place accessibility standards. Find info about absentee voting procedures for military and overseas voters at minnesota.overseasvotefoundation.org.
Early voters can save time by taking these three steps:
Making sure they’re registered to vote, or pre-registering. Voters can register or check the status of their registrations at vote.minneapolismn.gov/voters/register. The last day to pre-register for the general election is October 18.
Downloading and completing the absentee ballot application form in advance and bringing it when voting. Find the request form at vote.minneapolismn.gov/voters/absentee.
Looking at a sample ballot ahead of time and even bringing it to refer to when voting. Sample ballots are available at vote.minneapolismn.gov/voters/ballot.
Minneapolis polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. For those who want to vote on Election Day November 8, pre-registering is an easy way to stay out of the registration line. Individuals are eligible to vote if they are at least 18 years old and U.S. citizens who have lived in Minnesota for at least 20 days before the election. Any voter who has moved or changed names since last voting must re-register.
Are you pre-registered? All individuals whose registration applications are received by elections officials by 5 p.m. October 18 will be pre-registered for the November 8 general election. Online registrations must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. October 18. Voters who newly register or update their registrations will receive a postcard notifying them where to vote.
Voters can pre-register online or fill out a registration application to pick up at government offices, or print from the elections website and mail in.
Voters who miss the deadline to pre-register may still be able to vote. In Minnesota, individuals may register at the polls on Election Day by providing one of the forms of identification required by Minnesota law. They will need to allow extra time at the polls to register. See the elections website for the list of identification required to register and vote on Election Day.
The Voter Registration Lookup allows voters to enter their names, birthdays and addresses to confirm whether they are registered.
Offices on the November 8 general election ballot include United States president and vice president, U.S. representative (District 5), state senator (all districts), state representative (all districts), judicial offices, and the Minneapolis School Board. The ballot will also have a question on a state constitutional amendment regarding removing lawmakers’ power to set their own pay, and a question asking voters to renew the school district’s current operating referendum authorization.
Before you go to vote check out your sample ballot at vote.minneapolismn.gov/voters/ballot.
How to mark a ballot. Every voter in Minnesota uses a paper ballot. There are three choices available for marking a ballot: using a pen, using the assistive-voting ballot-marking device, or having another person assist – a person of the voter’s choice or two election judges of different major political parties. Find info about voter assistance and resources at vote.minneapolismn.gov/voters/assistance.
Minneapolis 311 will extend its usual hours by one hour to serve voters while the polls are open. From 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for the November 8 general election, Minneapolis voters can call 311 for info on how to register and where to vote.
The Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services Division is responsible for administering elections in the City of Minneapolis. For information about registering and voting in Minneapolis or to serve as an election judge, residents can visit vote.minneapolismn.gov or call 311 or 612-673-3000.