Early voting is now open in Minnesota. Here’s how to cast your ballot.
Minnesotans can now cast their vote in the 2024 general election.
Early voting opened on Friday in Minnesota, one of the first states in the country to do so. Several more will follow suit in the coming days and weeks.
Voters wishing to cast their ballots in person can do so at their local elections office any time between now and Election Day, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office. You can find early voting locations in your county here.
Secretary of State Steve Simon says people who want to vote early by mail should make a plan to do so now. Absentee ballots must be received by your local county clerk’s office by 8 p.m. on Election Day — now 46 days away.
“We are seeing some delays nationally with the U.S. Postal Service,” Simon said during a news conference on Thursday. “It’s not everywhere, and Minnesota has fared better than many places across the country.”
Voters can check their registration status online, but Minnesota also allows same-day registration at polling locations if you bring some form of proof of residence. That means a valid Minnesota ID or Tribal ID that includes your name, photo, address and signature.
Alternatively, you can bring an approved photo ID and an official document that shows your current address, or a registered voter from your precinct can “vouch” for you and sign an oath to confirm your address. Other options exist for eligible voters who live in student housing or a residential facility such as a nursing home or a homeless shelter.
And for the first time in a presidential election, a new law is in play that gives anyone convicted of a felony who is out of prison the right to vote. A self-described “election integrity” group tried to challenge the law but it was ultimately upheld by the Minnesota Supreme Court.
Aside from the race for president of the United States, Minnesotans will see candidates for U.S. Senate, Congress, and State House on the ballot. There is one special election for an open State Senate seat in the west metro, and there are dozens of local ballot questions. You can generate a sample ballot online.