Minnesota’s Primary is August 11th – that’s just a few weeks away. Right now, we have the opportunity to truly change the world by electing candidates who will fight for justice and equity at every level of government.
Primary elections are when we decide who will appear on our ballots this fall. This is your chance to have your voice heard and make sure our shared values and the issues we care about are represented in November.
Because of COVID-19, things are going to look a little different this year. We’ve put together this busy voter’s guide to answer your voting questions. Keep reading to get up to speed.
Here’s What You Need to Know:
You can vote for candidates in one party on your ballot: DFL, Republican, Legal Marijuana Now, or Grassroots – Legalize Cannabis.
Find out what’s on your ballot on the Secretary of State’s website.
Who Can Vote?
To vote in Minnesota, you must be a U.S. Citizen, at least 18 years old, and have lived in the state for at least 20 days.
If you have a felony conviction, you must be finished with all parts of your sentence (aka off paper.)
If that describes you, you can vote in Minnesota!
How do I Register?
Register online today – the deadline to preregister for the primary is July 21st!
Check your voter registration status here.
Missed the registration deadline? No worries. Minnesota allows you to register to vote on Election Day. Just bring proof of residence with you to your polling location.
Stay Healthy. Vote Early.
COVID-19 has forced all of us to rethink how we are engaging in the world. Avoid crowds. Wear masks. Wash your hands regularly. No one wants to get sick while casting a ballot.
In other states, we’ve seen voters have to choose between their health and their right to vote.
However, here in Minnesota, our elected officials have made it easy for us to vote. We have a couple of ways to vote early so we can skip long lines on Election Day: voting by mail and voting early in person. Keep reading for more details.
Vote by Mail
Minnesota has no-excuse absentee voting, which makes it incredibly easy to vote by mail.
Anyone who is registered to vote in Minnesota can request to have a ballot mailed to your house for both the primary and the general election. This year, because of the pandemic, you don’t even need to have someone witness your ballot for you.
Just fill out your ballot, stick it in the enclosed envelopes, and send it back. Postage is already paid for you.
Requesting a ballot only takes a couple of minutes. Simply fill out the form on the Secretary of State’s website, and you’ll get your ballot in a few days.
And after you send mail your ballot back, you can track your ballot’s status, too.
You’ll want to hurry, though. Ballots must be postmarked by Election Day to be counted.
Vote Early in Person
Another way to avoid lines on Election Day is to vote early in person at your county elections office during regular business hours. Some cities and towns in Minnesota also offer early voting in other locations.
Early voting for the primary is offered beginning June 26th, and you can vote early up until the day before the primary.
Not registered to vote yet? You can do that when you go vote early. Just bring proof of residence.
Vote On Election Day
If you didn’t request your absentee ballot on time and weren’t able to make it to the polls to vote early, no sweat. You can still vote on Election Day!
Before you go vote, make sure to check where your polling place is. State election officials are changing some polling locations to make sure folks can socially distance while casting their ballot.
The state is also providing extra hand sanitizer and wipes to keep polling places safe for voters. Finally, please don’t forget to wear a mask!
Have a question about voting that you can’t find the answer to? Send us a message at info@takeactionminnesota.org, and we’ll do our best to help!
