“Our American heritage is threatened as much by our own indifference as it is by the most unscrupulous office seeker or by the most powerful foreign threat. The future of this Republic is in the hands of the American voter.”
These words were written for the public by Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1949. His message? The direction of a nation is determined by the decisions citizens make at the ballot box. Our right to vote is central to our democracy and, if used, gives us the power to shape the world in which we live.
Minnesota consistently ranks among the top states for voter turnout with 76% of eligible voters participating in the 2024 election compared to 64% nationally. Voter turnout is high because people justifiably trust the process (“Minnesotans Can Feel Confident in the Safety of Our Elections!”) and it is accessible and easy. Whether you are voting for the first time or simply need a refresher, understanding the voting process can make the experience faster and easier.
Registering to vote
To be eligible to vote, youmust be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years of age on election day, and have resided in Minnesota for at least 20 days. You cannot vote if you are incarcerated for a felony conviction or under a court order that revokes your right to vote. In Minnesota, formerly incarcerated individuals have been eligible to vote since 2023.
Eligible voters can register in the following ways: (1) online, (2) by completing and returning a paper application, or (3) in person on election day. Information can be found on the Minnesota Secretary of State (SOS) website. Since 2024, unless they opt out, eligible adults are automatically registered to vote when they apply for or renew a driver’s license, instruction permit, or state ID card and present documents that verify U.S. citizenship.
To complete your registration online, you will need either a Minnesota driver’s license number, a Minnesota identification card number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number, as well as an email and mailing address. If your name or address changes, you will need to update your registration. Check your registration status at the Minnesota (SOS) website.
Ways to vote
Minnesota also provides convenient ways to vote. You can (1) Vote Early by Mail (Absentee), (2) Vote Early In Person, or (3) Vote In Person on Election Day.
Vote early by mail/absentee
Voting early by mail, also called “absentee” voting, allows you to vote in your own home when it is convenient for you. Absentee voting has been around since the Civil War when men who were eligible to vote were away from home fighting. Today many states, including Minnesota, have “no-excuse” absentee voting. This means anyone can request a mail ballot without needing a specific reason. In the general election in 2024, about 40% of voters in Minnesota voted early as absentees without excuse, by mail or in person.
To vote early by mail, request your absentee ballot here from the Minnesota SOS website. Once your ballot arrives in the mail, it is important that you follow the directions exactly to ensure your ballot is counted. You will need a witness when voting and completing your ballot. The witness must be either a U.S. citizen at least 18 years old or a notary public, who is often available at a bank. It is a good idea to return your ballot as soon as possible. All ballots must be received by election day (Nov. 3, 2026 for the general election, Aug. 11, 2026 for the primary election).
There are three ways to return your ballot: (1) Mail it back at least 7 days before election day using the pre-addressed postage paid envelope provided, (2) Drop it off in-person at your local election office, (3) Have someone return it for you at your local election office. This person will need to provide identification and a signature. To be sure your ballot was received, check your ballot status online on the Minnesota SOS website. Note that you cannot return your ballot to a polling place on election day.
Security and accuracy of mail-in/absentee ballots
Despite claims, cases of mail-in/absentee voting fraud are very rare. The Brookings Institute, a non-partisan law and policy institute at New York University, has researched claims of voter fraud for more than 30 years. It found that total mail voting fraud in four of the last five general elections was only 0.000043% or about four cases out of every 10 million votes. Regardless of claims of large numbers of noncitizens voting, research at the University of St. Thomas, for example, uncovered only three convictions for unlawful voting by noncitizens in Minnesota between 2015 and 2024. That’s three out of 13 million votes cast.
Minnesota has multiple safeguards that ensure mail-in/absentee ballots are secure and counted accurately. Each voter and ballot are assigned a unique barcode that tracks the ballot from application to final acceptance. This system prevents voters from voting more than once — whether by absentee, replacement ballot, or in person. Voters can check their ballot status online on the Minnesota SOS website.
Mail-in/absentee ballots are reviewed by a trained ballot board consisting of both parties that verifies signatures and identifying information before a ballot is accepted. Ballots are kept secure, separated from identifying envelopes to protect voter privacy, and carefully reviewed during counting. If a ballot is damaged but voter intent is clear, bipartisan election judges duplicate it while preserving a record of the original. If a ballot is rejected, the voter is notified and given instructions on next steps.
Vote early in-person
If you are voting early in-person, you will need to go to an early voting center. Early voting for the primary election is June 26 – Aug. 10, 2026 and for the general election is Sept. 18 – Nov. 2, 2026.
If you are already registered to vote, you do not have to bring your ID with you. If you are not registered to vote, need to update your registration or have not voted in the last four years, you will need to provide proof of residency using one of the methods listed at the registration information page on the Minnesota SOS website.
If you vote early in person more than 18 days before election day (June 26 – July 23, 2026 for the primary election, Sept. 18 – Oct.15, 2026 for the general election), you will put your completed ballot into several envelopes just as you would if voting by mail. If you vote early in person within 18 days of the election (July 24 – Aug. 11, 2026 for the primary election, Oct. 16 – Nov. 2, 2026 for the general election), you will feed your ballot directly into the ballot counter.
Voting in-person on election day
To vote on election day, Aug. 11 for the primary and Nov.3 for the general election, you must vote at your assigned polling place. You can find the location of your polling place at the voter information page on the Minnesota SOS website. Most polling locations are open by 7 a.m. and all must remain open until 8 p.m. If you are in line by 8 p.m., poll workers must allow you to vote.
If you are already registered to vote, your name will be on a list of voters and you will be asked to sign next to your name. You do not have to bring your ID with you. If you are not registered to vote, need to update your registration or have not voted in the last four years, you will need to provide proof of residency using one of the methods listed on the Minnesota SOS website.
You will be given a ballot and a pen and shown to a private area, such as a small booth, in which to fill in your ballot.
Summary
Voting is one of the ways we can influence decisions that affect our daily lives. Minnesota makes voting accessible to all eligible voters by providing convenient and secure ways to register to vote and to cast your ballot.
“The vote is the most powerful nonviolent change agent you have in a democratic society. You must use it because it is not guaranteed. You can lose it.”
John Lewis, Civil Rights Activist and Member of the House of Representatives for Georgia’s fifth-district (1987-2020) sent this final message to the public via an op-ed in the New York Times on July 30, 2020.
Use this “most powerful nonviolent change agent” to make your voice heard.
Build your future: vote!
One way to extend the power of your vote is to volunteer to support the voting process in your community. You can do this by assisting at polling locations as an election judge.
Election judges are compensated for their service and trained to assist voters at in-person polling places on election day. Each year 30,000 election judges are hired at polling locations across Minnesota. You can gather information on how to apply, who can apply, pay, and the time commitment at the office of the Minnesota SOS website.
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