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Minnesota voter guide

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Election Information
2025 election and voting dates
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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Select a state from the menu below to learn more about its voting policies.

The policies governing voter participation are enacted and enforced primarily at the state level. These policies, which include voter identification requirements, early voting provisions, online voter registration systems, and more, dictate the conditions under which people cast their ballots in their respective states.

This article includes the following information about voting policies in Minnesota:

Click here for more information about election administration in the state, including voter list maintenance policies, provisional ballot rules, post-election auditing practices, and additional election policy context.

For information on elections happening this year, click here.

Do you have questions about your elections? Looking for information about your local election official? Click here to use U.S. Vote Foundation’s election official lookup tool.

Voter registration

Eligibility and registration details

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 in order 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-day period preceding the election.[1][2]

An individual must register to vote at least 21 days before Election Day or on Election Day at a polling place. 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.[1]

The Minnesota voter registration application includes an option to join a permanent absentee voter list, which means the voter will automatically be sent an absentee/mail-in ballot for every election.[2]

In-person voting

Poll times

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. However, some smaller municipalities may open their polls as late as 10:00 a.m. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[3]

Voter identification

See also: Voter identification laws by state

Minnesota does not require registered voters to present identification while voting.[4]

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. Click here to see what qualifies as acceptable proof of residency.

Early voting

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

See also: Absentee/mail-in voting

There are no eligibility requirements to vote absentee in Minnesota.[5]

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.[6]

Prospective voters may select an option on the Minnesota voter registration application to join a permanent absentee voter list, which means they will automatically be sent an absentee/mail-in ballot for every election.[2]


Local election officials


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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.


Voting rules for people convicted of a felony

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 that are still on parole, probation, or supervised release. Following a legal challenge, the Minnesota Supreme Court unanimously upheld the law on August 7, 2024.[7]

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.[8]


Election administration agencies

Election agencies

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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


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See also

Elections in Minnesota


External links

Footnotes