Voting in Minnesota works through three methods that all count the same: casting a ballot in person on Election Day, voting early in person at your county election office, or voting absentee by mail. Minnesota also lets you register and vote on the same day, so missing the advance registration deadline does not keep you from voting.
Who Can Vote
Five things have to be true. You must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old on Election Day, a Minnesota resident for 20 days before the election, not currently incarcerated for a felony conviction, and not under a court order that specifically revokes your right to vote.1Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State. Who Can Vote
Minnesota’s Restore the Vote Act broadened eligibility for people with felony convictions. You can vote during any period you are not incarcerated for the offense, which covers parole, probation, and supervised release. Rights are lost again only if you return to incarceration for that offense, and work release does not count as incarceration for voting purposes.2Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 201.014 – Eligibility To Vote
The guardianship disqualification is narrow. Not every guardianship removes voting rights; a court has to include that specific provision in the order.2Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 201.014 – Eligibility To Vote
How to Register
You can register online, by mail, or in person. Online registration requires a Minnesota driver’s license or state ID number (or the last four digits of your Social Security number) and an email address.3Minnesota Secretary Of State. Register To Vote Paper forms are available through the Secretary of State’s website or your county election office and can be mailed or dropped off at either location.4Minnesota Secretary Of State. Register on Paper
The application asks for your full legal name, current residential address, date of birth, and a Minnesota driver’s license or state ID number. If you have neither, use the last four digits of your Social Security number. Providing false information on the form is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.5Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 201.071 – Registration Applications
The 21-Day Deadline, and What Happens If You Miss It
To be on the voter rolls before Election Day, your registration must be received at least 21 days before the election.6Minnesota Secretary of State. Minnesota Voter Registration Application If you miss it, you can register at your polling place on Election Day. You just need proof of your current address, and the accepted options are wider than most people assume:7Minnesota Secretary Of State. Register on Election Day
- A valid Minnesota driver’s license, learner’s permit, state ID, or receipt for any of these showing your current address.
- A photo ID from any state (expired is fine) paired with a utility bill, bank statement, rent or mortgage statement, residential lease, or student fee statement dated within 30 days of the election.
- Vouching: a registered voter from your precinct can accompany you and sign an oath confirming your address. One person may vouch for up to eight voters.
- A photo ID plus your name on the student housing list that your college submits to election officials.
- If you already registered in the precinct but moved within it or changed your name, tell the election judge your previous information.
- A Notice of Late Registration mailed to you if you registered within 20 days of the election.
- Residential facility staff can vouch for residents, and in that case one staff member can vouch for all eligible voters in the facility.
Automatic Registration Through the DMV
Since 2023, Minnesota has registered eligible voters automatically through driver services. When you apply for or renew a Minnesota driver’s license, learner’s permit, or state ID and provide citizenship-affirming documentation such as a U.S. passport, your information is forwarded to election officials. You then receive a mailed opt-out notice. If you do not return it within 20 days, you are registered. The full process takes about four to six weeks after your ID transaction.8Minnesota Secretary Of State. Automatic Voter Registration
Voting on Election Day
Polling places for state and federal elections are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Towns with fewer than 500 residents are not required to open until 10:00 a.m., though most open at 7:00 a.m. anyway. For city, town, and school-only elections, opening times may be later depending on whether the polling place is in the metropolitan area. If you are in line by 8:00 p.m., you are entitled to vote no matter how long the line takes after that.9Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State. Voting Hours
If your registration is current and active (meaning you registered at least 21 days before the election and have not moved or changed your name since), you do not need to bring identification. You sign the roster and vote.10Minnesota Secretary Of State. Do I Need to Bring ID? If you need to register or update your registration at the polls, bring one of the proof-of-residence documents listed above.
Voting Early In Person
You can vote early in person at your county election office using an absentee ballot before Election Day. Every voter in the state has at least one early in-person location available. If you are not yet registered, you can register at the same time, provided you bring proof of residence.11Minnesota Secretary Of State. Vote Early in Person
Voting Absentee by Mail
Any eligible voter can request a mail ballot without giving a reason. Ballots are typically mailed about 46 days before an election.12Minnesota Secretary Of State. Vote by Mail in U.S. You can request one online or by submitting a paper application to your county election office. Your completed ballot must be returned to the election office by mail or in person by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.
One step catches people off guard: Minnesota absentee ballots require a witness. The witness must be a registered Minnesota voter, a notary public, or someone with authority to administer oaths. They print their name and Minnesota street address on the ballot envelope and sign it. If you are not already registered, you also need to show your witness proof of residence.13Minnesota Secretary Of State. Absentee Ballot Instructions
Military and Overseas Voters
If you are a Minnesota resident in the military or living overseas, the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act covers you. The Federal Post Card Application lets you register and request an absentee ballot in one step. The form is available through the Federal Voting Assistance Program and can be printed and mailed to your county election office.14Federal Voting Assistance Program. FPCA Privacy Notice
Your Rights at Work and at the Polls
Minnesota law guarantees every eligible employee the right to be absent from work for the time needed to travel to the polling place, vote, and return, without any penalty or pay deduction. This covers both Election Day voting and early in-person voting, and employers who interfere are guilty of a misdemeanor.15Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 204C.04 – Employees Time Off to Vote
At the polling place itself, no one besides election officials, voters waiting to register or vote, and exit pollers may stand within 100 feet of the building.16Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 204C.06 – Conduct in and Near Polling Places State law prohibits using force, threats, coercion, or economic pressure, including threats of job loss, to influence whether or how you vote. Federal law adds that intimidating a voter in a federal election is a crime punishable by up to one year in prison.17Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 594 – Intimidation of Voters
Finding Your Polling Place and Sample Ballot
The Secretary of State’s Pollfinder tool matches your residential address to your precinct and shows your assigned polling place, the candidates and ballot questions you will see, and your legislative districts. Polling locations can shift between elections because of redistricting or building changes, so it is worth checking before each one.18Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State. Pollfinder Pulling up your sample ballot in advance is the easiest way to avoid being surprised by local races, judicial retention questions, or ballot measures you had not seen covered.