Minnesota

Polling places are usually open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. C.T.

State and federal elections

7 a.m.* – 8 p.m. C.T.

*In state and federal elections, towns with less than 500 registered voters are not required to open until 10 a.m. but most choose to open at 7 a.m. C.T.

City, town and school-only elections

7 a.m.* – 8 p.m. C.T.

*In elections that are only for cities, towns, and/or school districts, polling places located in the metropolitan area do not have to open until 10 a.m. C.T. Those outside the metropolitan area do not have to open until 5 p.m. C.T. However, most choose to open at 7 a.m. C.T.
The metropolitan area is defined as the counties of Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Washington, and Wright.

Polling Place lookout tool https://pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us/

Voters are required to go to their assigned polling place.

Registration Deadlines

• For registration deadlines, see How to Register below.

How to Check Your Registration: Voters can determine whether they are registered to vote at the following link: Am I Registered?.

You are eligible to vote in Minnesota if you:

• Are a U.S citizen
• Are a resident of Minnesota
• Are at least 18 years old by Election Day
• Live in the precinct where you vote for at least 20 days prior to the election

You are NOT eligible to vote in Minnesota if:

• You are currently serving a sentence including incarceration, parole, probation, or extended supervision for a felony conviction
• You were disqualified from voting due to a court order

Agencies or courts in Minnesota have issued opinions that individuals under guardianship DO have the right to vote unless the guardianship decree contains an express order otherwise.

Restorative Requirements

• If you have completed a felony sentence, including any term of incarceration, parole, supervision, period of probation, or you have been pardoned, then you are immediately eligible to register to vote

You may preregister to vote in Minnesota

• if you will be 18 by Election Day

How to register 

Online Registration Tool: https://mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us/VoterRegistration/VoterRegistrationMain.aspx

PDF Registration Forms (downloads for various languages available): https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/register-to-vote/register-on-paper/

• Residency Requirements

A person may vote in Minnesota on election day if the person is a citizen of the United States, is at least 18 years old on Election Day, has resided in Minnesota for at least 20 days immediately preceding election day, and is finished with all parts of any felony sentence.

Voter Registration

To register to vote in Minnesota you should provide one of the following:

• Your Minnesota Driver’s License Number
• Your Minnesota ID Number

If you do not have these IDs, you may provide:

• Last Four Digits of your Social Security Number

If you register to vote on Election Day you will need to provide one of the following:

• Minnesota Learner’s Permit
• Minnesota ID Card
• Valid Tribal ID
• A registered voter from the same precinct who will sign an oath confirming your address
• Receipt for Driver’s License, Lerner’s permit or ID
• Valid Student ID accompanied by on-campus housing listing that denotes US Citizenship
• Valid Minnesota Driver’s License except one issued to an individual that is not a United States citizen
• A staff person from your residential facility who can confirm your address

If you do not have this form of ID(s), Minnesota will also accept:

• Valid Tribal ID
• Valid Student ID
• Valid US Passport
• Valid Military ID
• Veteran’s ID
• Out of State Driver’s License or Non-driver ID

Together with one of the following:

• Student Fee Statement
• Bank, credit card, rent or mortgage statement dated within 30 days of the Election
• Lease or rent agreement
• Bill, account or start-of-service statement due or dated within 30 days of the election for Phone, TV, internet, solid waste, sewer electric gas or water

Voting In-Person

You do not need to show ID to vote if your registration is current and active. Your registration is considered “current” if you registered at least 21 days before Election Day and haven’t relocated. Your registration is considered “active” if you have voted in the past four years.

A voter needs to have the required documents for voter registration. The required documents or alternative methods of identification can be found here. 

• ID Requirements for voter casting their ballot by mail
  • A voter will need a witness for when they vote and complete their ballot.  The witness can be either a registered Minnesota voter or a notary, and the witness must sign the signature envelope and list their address..

• Scenario where someone does / does not need to show an ID 
  • Whether a voter needs to bring ID to the polls depends on if they need to register at the polling place or not.

• If a voter’s registration is current and active, the voter does not need to bring identification. This means the voter was successfully registered at least 21 days before Election Day and has not moved or changed names since then.

• Minnesota does not offer a free ID option just for voting purposes. 

• Minnesota does not have provisional ballots.

• If a voter has moved within the same county, they should check their address to see if their polling place has changed. If so, the voter should proceed to the polling place assigned to the new address. The voter may also change their address and complete their registration online or by mail. If the voter does not complete registration in advance, they will be able to register and vote at the new polling place on Election Day.

If the new address is still the same voting location, the voter only needs to tell the election official their previous name or address – no additional documentation is required.

• If a voter has moved between counties, they should check their address to see if their polling place has changed. If so, the voter should proceed to the polling place assigned to the new address. The voter may also change their address and complete their registration online or by mail. If the voter does not complete registration in advance, they will be able to register and vote at the new polling place on Election Day.

• If a voter would like to register online or by mail, the registration must be received 21 days before Election Day. Otherwise, voters may register in person, up to and on Election Day.

• For voters who have moved to Minnesota
  • To vote in Minnesota, a voter must live in the state for at least 20 days before Election Day. If the voter meets this requirement, they can register to vote on Election Day.

• If a voter has lived in Minnesota for fewer than 20 days before Election Day, the voter cannot vote in Minnesota for that election. However, they will be able to cast a presidential absentee ballot.

• For voters who have moved away from Minnesota 
  • If a voter moves from Minnesota to another state within 30 days before Election Day, they may not be eligible to vote in their new state.

• If this happens before a November election with the U.S. president on the ballot, the voter can send a Presidential Absentee Application to the county election office of the county last resided in. The voter would then receive a ballot for U.S. president and vice-president.

Voting Military

Service members and their dependents may register and request a ballot using the federal voter registration/ballot request form (“FPCA”). You will have the following identification options when completing the form:

• U.S. Passport
• U.S. State or Territory or District Issued ID
• Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number

If you do not have these IDs, leave this section blank.

Voting Overseas

U.S. citizens living overseas may register and request a ballot using the overseas voter registration/ballot request form. You will have the following identification options when completing the form:

• U.S. Passport
• U.S. State or Territory or District Issued ID
• Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number

If you do not have these IDs, leave this section blank.

• Military and overseas voting processes by mail 
  • Military members serving outside their home precinct and citizens living abroad temporarily or indefinitely can apply to have an absentee ballot sent to them wherever they are in the world.

• This application may be completed online or downloaded and mailed to the voter’s election official. More information can be found on the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website or through the Federal Voting Assistance Program website.

• Registering and Requesting an Absentee Ballot 
  • To register to vote and request a ballot for U.S. citizens living outside the country, an individual should fill out the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) and send it to their election office.

• Receiving an absentee ballot 
  • After submitting the Federal Post Card Application, Minnesota will send the individual’s ballot to them at least 45 days before the election. 

• The voter should send back the ballot as soon as it is received. 

• Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot
  • If an individual requested a ballot but did not receive it, the voter may track their ballot here or contact their election office to ask about the status of their ballot request.

• If there isn’t enough time to receive and send back the ballot before the election, a voter may use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) which works like a backup ballot. 

After the ballot is sent, the voter can check if it was received by their election office.

• Individuals with a criminal record are eligible to vote. 

• A person can vote if…
  • charged with or convicted of a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor.

• they are in jail, but not currently serving a felony sentence.

• they have been charged with a felony, but haven’t been convicted.

• they have been given a stay of adjudication.

• they finished all parts of their felony sentence.

A criminal record does not affect the right to vote in Minnesota unless an individual is currently serving a felony conviction sentence, including probation, parole or supervised release.

• If/when does someone regain eligibility 
  • Individuals are able vote after all parts of a sentence are finished, including any probation, parole, or supervised release.

• If voting rights were lost due to a felony sentence, as soon as all parts of the sentence are complete, an individual must register to vote and would then be eligible to vote in Minnesota.

Voting information in other languages, including English, Hmong, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Vietnamese is available from the Minnesota Secretary of State website.