But, I'm back!
Let's jump in on the topic of voting.
Let's jump in on the topic of voting.
Who Can Vote?
To vote you must be:
- A US citizen
- At least 18 years old on Election Day
- A resident of Minnesota for 20 days
- Not currently in jail for a felony conviction
- Not under a court order that revokes your right to vote
Your criminal record doesn't affect your right to vote in Minnesota unless you are currently in jail on a felony conviction. This means you can vote if:
- you were charged with or convicted of a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor
- you are in jail, but are not serving a felony sentence
- you have been charged with a felony, but you haven't been convicted
- you have been given a stay of adjudication
- you have been convicted of a felony but are not incarcerated
- you are on work release, even if you return to a jail facility at night
You cannot vote if you are currently incarcerated serving a felony sentence
As long as a judge didn't restrict your right to vote through a court order, you have the right to vote when:
- you are under guardianship
- you are under conservatorship
- you gave someone power of attorney
- you have a brain injury
- you have a developmental disability
- you have a cognitive impairment
- you experience memory loss
No one else can make this decision on your behalf, including your spouse, children, attorneys, caregivers, doctors or nurses.
Early Voting
Early voting is an option for every eligible Minnesotan voter. In 2014, Minnesota instituted "no excuse" absentee balloting where you no longer need to provide a reason to request and absentee ballot. Anyone can apply for an absentee ballot and vote from the comfort of their home.
The absentee ballot form- which also allows you to register, if needed- will be sent directly to you and can be returned by mail. Absentee ballot applications (available in 11 different languages)- which can be submitted anytime- can be completed online, on paper and returned by mail or in person at your local election office.
Absentee ballots are available starting 46 days before Election Day. During this period, you can vote in person using the absentee ballot at designated early voting locations. Every county is required to have at least one early voting location, and many have multiple locations.
They must be open during all regular business hours plus the last Saturday before Election Day until at least 5pm. Many locations have expanded hours, especially during the week before Election Day.
We also have "direct balloting" during the 18 days prior to Election Day. With direct balloting, you fill in a regular ballot- not the absentee ballot- and place it directly into the vote tabulator. Early voting locations will have this option during the last week before Election Day.
Ok y'all, here's all the information. And now you can do what 1.9 million Minnesotans did in 2020: Vote Early!
Check out mn.votes.gov for additional information on early voting and other topics.
Call 1-877-600-VOTE (8683) for help with the voter registration process.
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