Election Day 2026: What to know about voting in MN
Election Day in Minnesota is three weeks away (November 3), and the Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) encourages farmers to make their voice heard this fall. Join farmer-leaders in ensuring your voice is represented in the legislative process.
Here’s how you can vote this fall.
Step one: Register
All Minnesota voters must register before voting. To vote you must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old on Election Day, a resident of Minnesota for 20 days, not currently incarcerated for a felony conviction, and not under a court order that revokes your right to vote.
Minnesota’s online registration portal closes Oct. 13, but you can also register at your polling place on Election Day or at an early voting location before Election Day. You can check your registration status online. Learn more about registering on Election Day here.
Step two: Determine voting method
You can vote by mail (absentee), vote early in person, or vote in person on Election Day.
To apply for an absentee ballot, visit the Secretary of State’s website. The Secretary of State recommends that you apply before Tuesday, Oct. 20. The last day to return the ballot is Election Day, Nov. 3. Your ballot will not count if it’s received after Election Day. You can learn more about returning your absentee ballot here.
Minnesota also offers early in-person voting starting on Oct. 16. You can view the list of early voting locations here.
You can also vote in person on Election Day, Nov. 3. Visit the Secretary of State’s website to find your polling place.
Some jurisdictions in Minnesota hold elections by mail instead of voting at polling places (cities with fewer than 400 registered voters or townships of any size can choose this option). You can see if you live in a mail ballot precinct by entering your address into the Polling Place Finder. If you live in a mail ballot precinct, you will see a message that ballots are mailed to registered voters. You will also see the location of the central polling place where you can drop off their ballot, vote in person, or register on Election Day.
Step three: Research candidates
You can see what’s on your ballot by visiting myballotmn.sos.mn.gov. Learn more about candidates by visiting their websites, watching candidate forums, reading articles and letters in your local newspaper, and talking to friends and neighbors.
Step four: Vote
In Minnesota, polling places are usually open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. In state and federal elections, towns with less than 500 residents are not required to open until 10 a.m. but most choose to open at 7 a.m. As long as you’re in line by 8 p.m., you can vote, even if you do not reach the front of the line until after 8 p.m.
