Who can vote?

You can vote if you are:

• 18 or older
• a U.S. citizen
• a Minnesota resident for at least 20 days before the election
• not a convicted felon without civil rights
• not under guardianship of another person
• not legally incompetent

When can I vote on election day?

Most polling places will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. A few township polling places will open at 10:00 a.m. Check with your town clerk for details.

But I have to work...

Minnesota law allows you to take time off from work to vote during the morning of the state primary and state general election. The idea is to encourage people to vote early in the day.

Where do I vote?

We vote close to where we live. Your city clerk or county auditor will have a list of polling places. The phone numbers for your city clerk and county auditor are in the blue pages of your phone book.

About voter registration...

You need to be on the official list of voters before you can vote. If you are not already registered, you can add your name to the list by filling out a Voter Registration Card. When you fill out the card, you must give the address where you are living at the time of the election. If you are a student living at school, you can register either at home or at school (but not both!) depending on your residence. It is illegal to vote at a former residence because the new occupants vote there.

You can get a Voter Registration Card:,

• on the Secretary of State's web site
• at state, county, or city offices or libraries
• when you apply for, renew or change your Minnesota Driver's License or ID card
• in state income tax booklets
• from the registrar's office at most colleges,universities and technical schools in Minnesota at many businesses, stores, and community organizations.
• In your QWEST DEX telephone directory blue government pages

Mail in or drop off the completed card at the office of your city clerk, county auditor or the secretary of state.

NOTE:To download a Voter Registration Form and instructions in English, Hmong, Somali, Spanish or Russian go to

http://www.sos.state.mn.us/

Click on Elections and Voting, then click Forms and Publications.

You can still register on election day ...

If you miss registering before the election, you can still vote by registering on election day at your polling place.

Option 1: ID with Current Name and Address:

Accepted IDs

• Current Minnesota driver's license, learner's permit, MN ID card or receipt for any of these
• College Student photo ID, if your college has provided a student housing list to election officials
• A photo tribal ID with your name, address, photo and signature

Option 2: Photo ID Plus a Document with Current Name and Address:

Accepted IDs:

• Driver's license, state ID card or learner's permit issued by any state
• US passport
• US Military ID card
• Tribal ID card with the name, signature and photo of the voter
• Minnesota university, college of technical college ID card
• Minnesota high school ID card

Accepted Documents:

• Residential lease or rental agreement (valid through Election Day)
• Current student fee statement
• Bill, account, or start of service statement due or dated within 30 days of election for any of these:
  1. Phone
  2. TV
  3. Internet
  4. Solid Waste or sewer services
  5. Electric, gas or water
  6. Banking or credit card
  7. Rent or mortgage payments

If you have none of the above, a neighbor can vouch for you at the polls.

Someone who is registered in the precinct where you live can vouch for you at the polling place. A voter who registers by this method may not confirm the residency of another voter on the day of the same election.

If you live in a residential facility, including nursing home, battered women's shelter, homeless shelter and other licensed facility, an employee can vouch for you at the poll (if the facility has provided the county with a certified list of employees).

If you are a college student you can use:

• a current student fee statement showing your address in the precinct and photo ID card.
• a student photo ID if a college student housing list or list of students is on file at your polling place.
• If you are already registered and move within the same precinct, you may re-register at the polling place as well.

Registration in Minnesota is permanent. You need to register again only when you change your name or address, or fail to vote in four years.

If you need help:

• You can ask for help to read or mark your ballot at the polling place. If you like, you can have a friend do it.
• All polling places should be fully accessible. Accessible doors and parking spaces should be clearly marked.
• If you can't easily leave your car, you can ask for the ballots to be brought out to you in your car.
• If you are confined due to illness or disability, you can vote by absentee ballot. Call your county auditor or city clerk for details. See blue telephone pages for such numbers.
• If you have limited vision, you may ask your county auditor for voter registration and absentee ballot instructions in large print or on cassette tape.
• And if you are hearing impaired, every county and most cities will have a TDD device for questions.

Absentee voting...

Absentee voting is an option for any voter. (This reflects a change in Minnesota law effective in 2014.)

Beginning in 2014, absentee voters can apply for a ballot online at http://mnvotesinfo.sos.state.mn.us.

Check with your county auditor or municipal clerk to find out how and where to apply in person.

For Further Information:

For further information, please call the Election Division of the Minnesota Secretary of State, (651) 296-2803 http://www.sos.state.mn.us/election; the League of Women Voters of Minnesota, (651) 224-5445; or the League's election information site: http://www.vote411.org. You may also call your County Auditor or City Clerk. See the Blue Pages in the Phone Book for this information.