Minnesota Election Center

• In Person: Election Day
• By Mail: Received 21 days before Election Day
• Online: 21 days before Election Day.

If you have missed the voter registration deadline, you can still register to vote and a cast a ballot at the same time during the in-person absentee voting period or on Election Day. Simply go to your regular in-person absentee voting site -- or to your regular polling place -- to register and vote. Contact your Local Election Office if you have any questions.

To register in Minnesota you must:

• be a citizen of the United States
• be a resident of Minnesota for 20 days before the next election
• maintain residence at the address given on the registration form
• be at least 18 years old on Election Day
• if previously convicted of a felony, your felony sentence has expired or been completed, or you have been discharged from the sentence
• not be under a court‑ordered guardianship in which the right to vote has been revoked
• not be found by a court to be legally incompetent to vote

1. Use our Register to Vote Tool to fill out the National Voter Registration Form.
2. Sign and date your form. This is very important!
3. Mail or hand-deliver your completed form to the address we provide.
4. Make sure you register before the voter registration deadline.

Absentee ballot application deadline:

No specific deadline. We recommend requesting your ballot at least one month before Election Day

Voted ballots are due:

Received by 5:00 p.m. on the day before Election Day (in person). Received by the close of polls on Election Day (by mail).

Any registered Minnesota voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail.

1. Use our Absentee Ballot Tool to prepare your application.
2. Sign and date the form. This is very important!
3. Return your completed application to your Local Election Office as soon as possible. We’ll provide the mailing address for you.
4. All Local Election Offices will accept mailed or hand-delivered forms. If it’s close to the deadline, call and see if your Local Election Office will let you fax or email the application.
5. Make sure your application is received by the deadline. Your application must actually arrive by this time — simply being postmarked by the deadline is insufficient.
6. Please contact your Local Election Office if you have any further questions about the exact process.

• Once you receive the ballot, carefully read and follow the instructions.
• A wintess must sign your absentee ballot envelope to verify that your ballot was delivered blank and that you marked the ballot in private. The witness can be a notary from any state or a registered Minnesota voter.
• Sign and date where indicated.
• Mail your voted ballot back to the address indicated on the return envelope. Your voted ballot must arrive by the deadline or it will not be counted.

Early voting starts 46 days before Election Day.

Early voting ends the day before Election Day.

You’re only required to show an ID when you vote if you’re registering to vote when you vote in person, or if your registration is not current and active.

To register when you vote in person, bring one of the following:

• A Minnesota driver’s license, learner’s permit, ID, or receipt for any of these that has your current name and address
• A tribal ID with your name, address, photo, and signature

Absentee voters do not need to provide ID.