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Voting & Elections Toolkits

Voting and advocacy resources by librarians for librarians

Voter Registration in Minnesota

Eligibility

  • Age: At least 18 years old on Election Day
  • Formerly incarcerated individuals: Finished with all parts of any felony sentence
  • Citizenship: Must be a U.S. citizen
  • Residence: A resident of Minnesota for at least 20 days
  • Check if you're registered

You can vote while under guardianship unless a judge specifically has revoked your right to vote.
You cannot vote if a court has ruled that you are legally incompetent.

More information on Minnesota voter eligibility

Deadline

Online registration

To use the online voter registration system, you will need an email address, a Minnesota driver's license or ID card number or Social Security number. 

Online registration system

Mail-in registration

Printable forms in a variety of languages are available

Updating registration      

You must re-register each time you change address, change names or do not vote at least once during a four-year period. Update your registration by completing a new registration application. 

ID Requirements for Minnesota Voters

ID Requirements for Registration

Online Registration

You will need your Minnesota driver’s license or Minnesota identification card number, or the last four numbers of your Social Security number.

Mail-In Registration

If you do not have a Minnesota driver’s license or Minnesota identification card number, or the last four numbers of your Social Security number, register by mail.

ID Requirements for Voting

If your voter registration is current and active, you do not need to bring identification. This means you were successfully registered at least 21 days before Election Day and you have not moved or changed names since then.

If you need to register or update your registration, or you have not voted in four years or more, you will need to show proof of residence before you vote.

 

Where to get an ID

Driver and Vehicle Services

Casting a Ballot in Minnesota

Important Dates

  • Presidential Primary Election: March 5, 2024
  • Primary Election: August 13, 2024
  • General Election: November 5, 2024
  • Full Calendar

Absentee voting

In Minnesota, you can vote early with an absentee ballot starting 46 days before Election Day.

Vote early by mail 
Vote early in person
Vote from military or abroad
Track your absentee ballot

Polling places and hours

Rides to the polls

Many organizations offer free rides to polling places. Some of these include:

  • Lyft provides free or discounted rides in some underserved communities

Elections

Primaries vs. general elections

  • Primary elections are conducted to select each party’s candidates in the general election.
  • In Minnesota, voters do not register with a political party and can vote in any party's primary.
  • In a general election, voters are not required to have a party affiliation.

All voters will have these races on their general election ballot:

  • U.S. Representative
  • U.S. Senate
  • State Senator
  • State Representative
  • Judicial seats

Voters may also have one or more of these races on their ballot:

  • County Officials
  • City Officers
  • School Board Members
  • Township Officers
  • Local ballot questions

Who are the candidates, and what else is on the ballot?

Who conducts elections?

  • Local election officials manage elections with support from the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State.

More information on who conducts elections

Voter Bill of Rights

Know Your Rights

Where to go with complaints about candidates or how elections are conducted

To file a complaint:

More information on complaints

Campaign finance

The Minnesota Campaign Finance Board provides access to candidates’ election committee and Political Action Committee campaign finance filings.

How to contact your elected officials:

Find your elected officials

General Resources on Voting and Elections

General Resources on Voting and Elections


Election Protection Hotlines


1-866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)

1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682) (en Español)

1-888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683) (Asian multilingual assistance)

1-844-YALLA-US (844-925-5287) (Arabic)


Voter Registration & Election Day Resources

Find useful voter information including:

  • Local Election Office and Contact Information
  • Address, Telephone and Email for Local Election Offices
  • Upcoming Federal Election Dates and Deadlines
  • Upcoming State Election Dates and Deadlines
  • Eligibility Requirements
  • Identification Requirements
  • Voter Materials Transmission Options
  • State Lookup Tools – Am I Registered? Where’s my Ballot?

Population-Specific information and Resources

Voting Rights: Laws, Cases, Policy

Voter Engagement

Voter Education

Campaign Finance/Funding Information

Primary Sources, Lesson Plans & Exhibits

Disclaimer

Librarians from the Government Documents Round Table (GODORT), a Round Table of the American Library Association (ALA), created these reference guides. These guides are intended for informational purposes only and are not in any way intended to be legal advice.

If you have questions or feedback to share about these guides, we encourage you to CONTACT US.

These guides are designated with a Creative Commons license and re-use and modification for educational purposes is encouraged.

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.