MINNEAPOLIS — Happy early-voting-begins-in-Minnesota-for-municipal-elections day to all who celebrate!
Handfuls of local seats are up for grabs on ballots across Minnesota in this year's municipal elections on Nov. 7, as well as issues affecting everything from local taxes, infrastructure updates and public school-related funding, among others.
While city elections don't get quite the same hype as national elections, it's important to remember that local politics affect our daily lives, and even the most impactful policies can start at the local level.
Want to weigh in? Here's what you should know about voting early this year in Minnesota.
How do I know if I'm registered?
If you haven't already registered with your current address, you can do so on the Minnesota Secretary of State's website at any time. If you aren't quite sure whether you're registered, you can also check in on your current voter status via the SOS' site.
Luckily for the more Type B personalities among us, Minnesota does allow same-day registration. If same-day is more your speed, voting centers require proof of residence documents like a photo ID with your current address or a photo ID in addition to a document bearing your name and address. Examples of acceptable documents include utility and credit card bills, or rent or mortgage agreements dated within 30 days of the election.
For a full, same-day registration preparedness checklist, click here.
Where do I go?
Every city in Minnesota has at least one location that opened for early voting on Friday. There, voters can cast their municipal absentee ballots in-person. Of course, Minnesotans can also request an absentee ballot from the SOS' office and return it by mail — or by dropping off at your local polling place — any time before election day.
Worth noting, if ballots are turned in after 8 p.m. on Election Day Nov. 7, they won't be counted.
You can also check the status of your absentee ballot anytime after it's received by clicking here.
Early voting in Minneapolis:
- Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services, 980 E Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN 55414, M-F 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
- Weisman Art Museum, 333 E River Pkwy, Minneapolis MN 55455 ONLY Tuesday 10/31 11:00 AM-5:00 PM
Early voting in St. Paul:
- Ramsey County Elections - Plato Building, 90 Plato Boulevard West, St. Paul, MN 55107, M-F 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
If you're outside the Twin Cities, click here to find your voting center.
What's on my ballot?
Who's on your ballot might naturally be your first thought when considering how you'll vote, but as mentioned above, local elections are about that and so much more.
For example, St. Paul voters will be asked whether the city can impose a 1% sales tax to fund improvements in infrastructure, while voters in Minnetonka will decide whether they want to repeal the ranked-choice voting process for their city elections.
And speaking of ranked-choice voting, also adopted by residents of Minneapolis in recent years, they'll vote for candidates in order of preference by ranking them from first choice to third. By using this method, votes will be transferred and count toward an alternative candidate should the first choice lose.
In Minneapolis this year, all 13 city council seats are on the ballot, including the one occupied by Council President Andrea Jenkins.
What's new this year?
After a productive session for Minnesota Democrats earlier in 2023, several new laws were passed and put into place, including:
- Restored voting rights for former felons
- Added protections for poll workers from assaults and harassment
- Pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds so they're automatically added to voter rolls when they turn 18
- Requirements for employers to give their workers time to vote — with pay, if that time is within their regularly scheduled shifts
With these mandates, over 50,000 more Minnesotans are eligible to cast votes.
Didn't find what you were looking for? You can get all the information you need about Minnesota's election processes on the Minnesota Secretary of State's website.
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