Election Administration In Minnesota

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Election Information
Voter registration
Early voting
Absentee/mail-in voting
All-mail voting
Voter ID laws
State poll opening and closing times
Time off work for voting
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Election administration encompasses a state's voting policies, procedures, and enforcement. These include voter identification requirements, early and absentee/mail-in voting provisions, voter list maintenance methods, and more. Each state's voting policies dictate who can vote and under what conditions.

Below, you will find details on the following election administration topics in Minnesota:

Poll times[edit]

See also: State poll opening and closing times

In Minnesota, most polling places are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Central Time. Towns with fewer than 500 residents may open their polls as late as 10 a.m. in state or federal elections. In city, town, and school-only elections, polling places in Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Washington, and Wright counties may open their polls as late as 10 a.m. All other municipalities may open their polls as late as 5 p.m.

Anyone in line when the polls close must be allowed to vote.^[2]

Voter registration[edit]

Check your voter registration status here.

Voter pre-registration is available in Minnesota beginning at age 16. An individual must be 18 years old on Election Day to vote. To register to vote in Minnesota, an individual must be a United States citizen who has resided in the state for the 20 days preceding the election. The person cannot be currently incarcerated for a felony conviction or under a court order that revokes their right to vote^[3][4]

An individual must register to vote at least 21 days before Election Day or on Election Day at a polling place.^[5] An individual may register to vote by completing a registration application and submitting it by mail or in person to a local election official. An individual can also register online. To register at a polling place on Election Day, an individual must present valid identification.^[3][6]

Automatic registration[edit]

See also: Automatic voter registration

Minnesota practices automatic voter registration. An individual is automatically registered to vote if they apply for a new or renewed Minnesota driver's license, Medicaid, or benefits or services from a participating state agency. The applicant must include documentation or verification of their U.S. citizenship, or records must reflect that they previously provided proof of citizenship.^[4]

Automatic voter registration took effect on June 1, 2023, as a result of HF 3, which was signed into law by Governor Tim Walz (D) on May 5, 2023.

Online registration[edit]

See also: Online voter registration

Minnesota has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration[edit]

See also: Same-day voter registration

Minnesota allows for same-day voter registration.^[6]

Residency requirements[edit]

To register to vote in Minnesota, you must be a "resident of Minnesota for 20 days," according to the Minnesota Secretary of State's office.^[3]

Verification of citizenship[edit]

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

As of November 2025, Minnesota did not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, "giving false information is a felony punishable by not more than 5 years imprisonment or a fine of not more than $10,000, or both."^[7]

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.^[8] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration[edit]

The Minnesota Secretary of State allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Early and absentee/mail-in voting policy[edit]

Early voting[edit]

See also: Early voting

Minnesota permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.

Absentee/mail-in voting[edit]

See also: Absentee/mail-in voting

There are no eligibility requirements to vote absentee in Minnesota.^[9][10]

There is no specific deadline for applying for an absentee ballot. A completed ballot must be returned on or before Election Day for it to be counted.^[11][10]

All states allow for some form of absentee/mail-in voting. Seven states and the District of Columbia had automatic mail-in ballot systems that mandate that all eligible voters receive an absentee/mail ballot by default. An eighth state, Vermont, had such a system for general elections only.

Twenty-eight states allow any eligible voter to cast an absentee/mail-in ballot. The remaining 14 states required voters to provide an excuse to receive and cast an absentee/mail ballot. Acceptable excuses vary by state.

Returning absentee/mail-in ballots[edit]

See also: Mail ballot collection and return laws by state

Absentee/mail-in ballots must be returned by election day. Ballots can be mailed to the voter’s local election office.

Ballots can also be returned in person no later than 5 p.m. on Election Day to the election office that sent the ballot.^[10]

According to state law, a "voter may designate an agent to deliver in person the sealed absentee ballot return envelope to the county auditor or municipal clerk or to deposit the return envelope in the mail."^[12]

Twenty states allow anyone chosen by the voter to return a ballot on the voter's behalf, with certain exceptions, while 16 states allow anyone with certain relationships to the voter to return the voter's ballot. Four states allow only the voter to return the voter's ballot, with certain exceptions, and two states required voters to return their ballots by mail. Eight states and D.C. do not specify who may return ballots.

Drop box availability[edit]

Minnesota law permits but does not require the use of ballot drop boxes. If a county auditor or municipal clerk does offer drop boxes, they must meet the following standards:^[13]

• Be continually recorded during the absentee voting period.
• Be designed to prevent an unauthorized person from moving, removing, or tampering with the drop box.
• Be placed in an outdoor location and fastened to a building, bolted to a concrete pad, or otherwise attached to a similarly secure structure.
• Contain signage that identifies the drop box as an official absentee ballot return location and display the location and hours where an agent may return a ballot.

Ballots must be collected at least once per business day during the absentee voting period by an elections official trained to handle absentee ballots and to use ballot drop boxes. Ballots collected from drop boxes must be properly stored.^[13]

As of November 2025, three counties and one municipality in Minnesota offered ballot drop boxes, according to a list provided by the Minnesota Secretary of State's office.^[14] For more information on drop box locations, click here.

Signature requirements and cure provisions[edit]

Minnesota requires returned absentee/mail-in ballots to contain the voter's signature as well as the signature and oath of a witness.^[15] Election officials may reject an absentee ballot that is returned without the appropriate signatures from a voter and witness.^[16]

Minnesota has a cure provision, or a law providing for a process where election officials follow up with voters whose absentee/mail-in ballots contain a signature discrepancy or lack the requisite signatures. State laws says that "[i]f an envelope has been rejected at least five days before the election, the envelope must remain sealed and the official in charge of the ballot board shall provide the voter with a replacement absentee ballot and signature envelope in place of the rejected ballot." If a ballot is rejected within five days of the election "the official in charge of the ballot board must attempt to contact the voter to notify the voter that the voter's ballot has been rejected by the method or methods of communication provided by the voter on the voter's application for an absentee ballot or voter registration."^[16]

Thirty-three states have laws that include cure provisions, while 17 states do not. One state, Pennsylvania, allows counties to establish a cure process.

Was your absentee/mail-in ballot counted?[edit]

Use the Absentee Ballot Search tool provided by the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office to check the status of your absentee/mail-in ballot.

Voter identification requirements[edit]

See also: Voter ID in Minnesota

See also: Voter identification laws by state

Minnesota does not generally require registered voters to present identification while voting.^[17]

If you are registering to vote at the polls or have not voted in at least four years, you will need to bring proof of residency to the polls.^[6] Click here to see what qualifies as acceptable proof of residency.

The federal Help America Vote Act requires that individuals in all 50 states who register to vote by mail and who have not voted previously in a federal election in their state must provide either their driver's license or a paycheck, bank statement, current utility bill, or government document showing their name and address. Individuals voting by mail must include a copy of one of those documents with their absentee/mail-in ballot.^[18]

These requirements do not apply if an individual submitted a copy of their identification, their driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number when registering to vote. Thirty-six states require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Of these states, 24 require voters to present identification containing a photograph, and 12 accept other forms of identification. The remaining 14 states do not require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day.

Valid forms of identification differ by state. In certain states that require voters to provide identification, there may be exceptions that allow some voters to cast a ballot without providing an ID. To see more about these exceptions, see details by state. Commonly accepted forms of ID include driver's licenses, state-issued identification cards, and military identification cards.

Provisional ballot rules[edit]

Minnesota does not have a provisional voting process.

Federal law requires most states to provide for a provisional balloting process (states that had enacted same-day voter registration processes as of 1993 were exempted from this requirement). As of November 2025, every state except Idaho, Minnesota, and New Hampshire had established a provisional voting process.^[19]

Primary election type[edit]

See also: Primary elections in Minnesota

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Minnesota utilizes an open primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.^[20]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Time off work for voting[edit]

In Minnesota, employees have the right to paid leave, so that they may, "...appear at the...polling place, cast a ballot, and return to work on the day of that election." Violations of this provision constitute a misdemeanor. State law said:^[21]

Twenty-eight states require employers to grant employees time off to vote. Within these 28 states, policies vary as to whether that time off must be paid and how much notice must be given.

Electioneering[edit]

Minnesota law states that "an individual must be allowed to go to and from the polling place for the purpose of voting without unlawful interference."^[23]

State law restricts certain activities in and around polling places. People are prohibited from standing within 100 feet of a polling place, unless they are an election official, voter, or an individual conducting exit polling. In addition, "no one except individuals receiving, marking, or depositing ballots shall approach within six feet of a voting booth, ballot counter, or electronic voting equipment, unless lawfully authorized to do so by an election judge or the individual is an election judge monitoring the operation of the ballot counter or electronic voting equipment."

Individuals are banned from damaging or removing signage or voting records at a polling place. Damaging or removing signage is a gross misdemeanor, while damaging or removing voting records is a felony. During election hours, it is a misdemeanor to drink intoxicating liquor or 3.2% malt liquor at a polling place or to bring it into a polling place, or to be intoxicated in a polling place.^[23]

Voting rules for people convicted of a felony[edit]

See also: Voting rights for people convicted of a felony

In Minnesota, voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony upon completion of their prison sentence.

On March 3, 2023, Governor Tim Walz (D) signed House File 28 into law, restoring voting rights to Minnesotans convicted of a felony who are still on parole, probation, or supervised release. Following a legal challenge, the Minnesota Supreme Court unanimously upheld the law on August 7, 2024.^[24]

Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.^[25]

Voter list maintenance[edit]

All states have rules under which they maintain voter rolls—or, check and remove certain names from their lists of registered voters. Most states are subject to the parameters set by The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).^[26] The NVRA requires states to make efforts to remove deceased individuals and individuals who have become ineligible due to a change of address. It prohibits removing registrants from voter lists within 90 days of a federal election due to change of address unless a registrant has requested to be removed, or from removing people from voter lists solely because they have not voted. The NVRA says that states may remove names from their registration lists under certain other circumstances and that their methods for removing names must be uniform and nondiscriminatory.^[27]

When names can be removed from the voter list[edit]

Minnesota law authorizes election officials to remove the names of voters from the registered voting list if an individual:

• requests in writing to be removed from the list^[28]
• dies^[28]
• is determined by a court to be legally incompetent^[29]
• is placed under guardianship and has their voting rights revoked by a court order^[29]
• is convicted of a felony.^[29]

Under state law, the commissioner of public safety must report on individuals identified in agency data as having temporary lawful status in the United States. If a person appearing on that list is registered to vote, the county auditor must challenge their status on the record in the statewide voter registration system and send a notice to the county attorney.^[29]

Inactive voter list rules[edit]

If any nonforwardable mail to a registered voter from an election official is returned as undeliverable with a permanent forwarding address within the state, Minnesota law requires the county auditor to place the voter on an inactive voter list. If the mail is returned as undeliverable with a permanent forwarding address outside the state, the county auditor is to send a notice to the forwardable address. If the voter fails to respond within 21 days to clarify their address, they are placed on the inactive list.^[30] If a nonforwardable mailing is returned as undeliverable with no forwarding address, the county auditor must change the voter's status to challenged. If a subsequent notice is also returned as nondeliverable, the person is placed on the inactive list.^[30]

After every election, the Secretary of State is required to place all voters who have not voted in the preceding four years on the inactive list.^[31]

Inactive voters must re-register to vote to be considered active.^[31]

The Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)[edit]

See also: Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)

According to its website, ERIC is a nonprofit corporation that is governed by a board of member-states. These member states submit voter registration and motor vehicle registration information to ERIC. ERIC uses this information, as well as Social Security death records and other sources, to provide member states with reports showing voters who have moved within their state, moved out of their state, died, have duplicate registrations in their state, or are potentially eligible to vote but are not yet registered. ERIC's website describes its funding as follows: "Members fund ERIC. New members pay a one-time membership fee of $25,000, which is reserved for technology upgrades and other unanticipated expenses. Members also pay annual dues. Annual dues cover operating costs and are based, in part, on the citizen voting age population in each state."^[32]

Twenty-five states are participating members in the ERIC program. Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia have joined and participated in ERIC at some point.^[33]

As of November 2025, Minnesota was participating in the ERIC program.^[34]

Post-election auditing[edit]

Minnesota state law requires post-election audits. County election officials audit randomly selected precincts. For counties with fewer than 50,000 registered voters, at least two precincts are chosen. For counties with between 50,000 and 100,000 registered voters, at least three precincts are chosen. For counties with more than 100,000 registered voters, four precincts or 3% of precincts, whichever is greater, are chosen. If there is a difference greater than "two votes in a precinct where fewer than 1,200 voters cast ballots, three votes in a precinct where between 1,200 and 1,599 voters cast ballots, four votes in a precinct where between 1,600 and 1,999 voters cast ballots, or five votes in a precinct where 2,000 or more voters cast ballots," additional review of at least three precincts is required. If there is still a discrepancy, all precincts in the district must be reviewed. If the audit results show an error in 10% or more of the total votes cast in the election in one or more counties, a manual recount is ordered for all affected districts. The audit must be completed before the canvass.^[35][36]

Post-election audits check that election results tallied by a state's voting system match results from paper records, such as paper ballots filled out by voters or the paper records produced by electronic voting machines. Post-election audits are classified into two categories: audits of election results—which include traditional post-election audits as well as risk-limiting audits—and procedural audits.^[37][38]

Typically, traditional post-election audits are done by recounting a portion of ballots, either electronically or by hand, and comparing the results to those produced by the state's voting system. In contrast, risk-limiting audits use statistical methods to compare a random sample of votes cast to election results instead of reviewing every ballot. The scope of procedural audits varies by state, but they typically include a systematic review of voting equipment, performance of the voting system, vote totals, duties of election officials and workers, ballot chain of custody, and more.

Forty-six states and the District of Columbia require some form of post-election audit by law, excluding states with pilot programs. Of these, 39 states and the District of Columbia require traditional post-election audits, while three states require risk-limiting post-election audits, and three states require some other form of post-election audit, including procedural post-election audits.^[39][37]

Election administration authorities[edit]

State election officials[edit]

In Minnesota, the secretary of state is the state's chief election official. There is no state board of elections or equivalent authority. The secretary of state is elected by popular vote every four years.^[40]

Local election officials[edit]

---

Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool.

---

Election policy ballot measures[edit]

See also: Elections and campaigns on the ballot and List of Minnesota ballot measures

Ballotpedia has tracked the following ballot measures relating to election and campaign policy in Minnesota.

1. Minnesota Amendment 2, Require Photo Voter Identification Measure (2012)
2. Minnesota Amendment 3, Establishing State Canvassing Board Measure (1873)
3. Minnesota Amendment 3, Establishing State Canvassing Board Measure (1877)
4. Minnesota System for Biennial Elections, Amendment 2 (1883)
5. Minnesota Clarify Voting Requirements, Amendment 3 (1952)
6. Minnesota Voting Location and Indian Voting Rights, Amendment 4 (1960)
7. Minnesota Age Requirements for Voting and Holding Office, Amendment 1 (1970)
8. Minnesota Campaign Spending Limits, Amendment 1 (1980)

Recent legislation related to election administration in Minnesota[edit]

The table below lists bills related to election administration that have been introduced during (or carried over to) the current legislative session in Minnesota. The following information is included for each bill:

• State
• Bill number
• Official bill name or caption
• Most recent action date
• Legislative status
• Sponsor party
• Topics dealt with by the bill

Bills are organized by most recent action. The table displays up to 100 results. To view more bills, use the arrows in the upper-right corner. Clicking on a bill will open its page on Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker, which includes bill details and a summary.

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Ballot access[edit]

See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Minnesota

In order to get on the ballot in Minnesota, a candidate for state or federal office must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements well in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.

There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for office in a state.

1. An individual can seek the nomination of a state-recognized political party.
2. An individual can run as an independent. Independent candidates often must petition in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
3. An individual can run as a write-in candidate.

This article outlines the steps that prospective candidates for state-level and congressional office must take in order to run for office in Minnesota. For information about filing requirements for presidential candidates, click here. Information about filing requirements for local-level offices is not available in this article (contact state election agencies for information about local candidate filing processes).

Redistricting[edit]

See also: Redistricting in Minnesota

Redistricting is the process by which new congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn. Each of Minnesota's eight United States Representatives and 201 state legislators are elected from political divisions called districts. United States Senators are not elected by districts, but by the states at large. District lines are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the United States census. The federal government stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.^{[41][42][43][44]}

Minnesota was apportioned eight seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2020 census, the same number it received after the 2010 census. Click here for more information about redistricting in Minnesota after the 2020 census.

State process[edit]

See also: State-by-state redistricting procedures

In Minnesota, congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by the Minnesota State Legislature. These lines are subject to veto by the governor.^[45]

The Minnesota Constitution requires "that state Senate districts be contiguous, and that Representative districts be nested within Senate districts." State statutes apply contiguity requirements to all congressional and state legislative districts. Furthermore, state statutes stipulate that political subdivisions should not be divided "more than necessary."^[45]

Contact information[edit]

Election agencies[edit]

Seal of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission

See also: State election agencies

Individuals seeking additional information about election administration in Minnesota can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.

Minnesota County Election Officials

Click here for a list

Minnesota Secretary of State

Veterans Service Building, Suite 210

20 W 12th St

Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155

Phone: 651-215-1440

Toll free: 1-877-600-8683

Email: secretary.state@state.mn.us

Website: https://www.sos.state.mn.us

Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board

190 Centennial Office Building

658 Cedar Street

St. Paul, Minnesota 55155-1603

Phone: 651-539-1180

Toll free: 800-657-3889

Fax: 651-539-1196

Email: cf.board@state.mn.us

Website: https://cfb.mn.gov

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200

Washington, DC 20001

Phone: 301-563-3919

Toll free: 1-866-747-1471

Email: clearinghouse@eac.gov

Website: https://www.eac.gov

Ballotpedia's election coverage[edit]

U.S. Congress special elections

Governors

Attorney general

Other state executives

State legislatures

State ballot measures

Local ballot measures

State judges

Local judges

Municipal government

School boards

Recall

See also[edit]

• Election laws and legislation in Minnesota
• State of Election Administration Legislation Reports
• Factors affecting the speed of ballot counting and delivery of unofficial election results
• Voting in Minnesota
• Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Minnesota
• Redistricting in Minnesota

Elections in Minnesota[edit]

• Minnesota elections, 2025
• Minnesota elections, 2024
• Minnesota elections, 2023
• Minnesota elections, 2022
• Minnesota elections, 2021
• Minnesota elections, 2020
• Minnesota elections, 2019
• Minnesota elections, 2018
• Minnesota elections, 2017
• Minnesota elections, 2016
• Minnesota elections, 2015
• Minnesota elections, 2014

External links[edit]

• Minnesota Secretary of State - Elections
• Minnesota voter registration portal
• Minnesota absentee ballot search tool

Footnotes[edit]

	v • e State of Minnesota St. Paul (capital)
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