What to know 1 week ahead of the general election

Eligible voters have one week left to cast their ballot in this year’s election, which will not only decide the presidential race, but others at the federal and state level, judicial seats and more.

This year, Election Day falls on Nov. 5. While many head to their polling location the day of the election, others choose to vote early, by absentee, or in-person absentee.

Over 47 million Americans nationwide have voted early.

As of Oct. 24, the Minnesota Secretary of State says more than 864,000 applications have been submitted for absentee ballots. Of those, more than 565,900 had been accepted. You can find past data about absentee ballot numbers in the state by CLICKING HERE.

If you need to mail your ballot back, the United States Postal Service recommends anyone needing to do so does that at least a week before their election office needs to receive them. That day is Tuesday, Oct. 29.

In Minnesota, you can vote by mail or do early, in-person voting through Nov. 4 — if you are already registered. The deadline to pre-register for the general election has already passed.

If you haven’t already registered, you’ll need to do so on Election Day or when voting absentee at your local clerk’s office. CLICK HERE to know what you’ll need to bring when registering. You must also meet the following requirements:

• Be a U.S. citizen (no green card holders)
• Be at least 18 years old on Election Day
• Be a resident of Minnesota for 20 days. CLICK HERE to learn how this applies for college students, anyone in a nursing home or residential facility, or is without a home, and HERE if you’re moving in or out of state.
• Not be currently incarcerated for a felony conviction
• Not be under a court order that takes away your right to vote

If you’re unsure of where your county election office is located, you can find it by CLICKING HERE. If you’ve already submitted your absentee or mail ballot, you can track it by CLICKING HERE.

The Minnesota Secretary of State says all ballots must be in by 8 p.m. on Election Day to the office that sent you a ballot if you voted by mail. You can drop off ballots for up to three other voters, according to the state, and show identification with the name and signature if returning a ballot for someone else. In addition, you can return it to a designated ballot drop box location. However, you cannot drop off your ballot at your polling place on Election Day.

You can find your polling place by CLICKING HERE and see what will be on your ballot by CLICKING HERE.