Register or check your record
Online advance registration closes at 11:59 p.m. October 13, and paper registration is due by 5 p.m. that day. Minnesota also permits registration when voting at an early location or at the Election Day polling place.
Official voter resources
Make your Minnesota voting plan
Register in advance by October 13 or register when voting. Absentee voting runs from September 18 through November 2, direct early voting begins October 16, and the general election is November 3.
First steps
Start with these three actions
Vote before Election Day
Absentee ballots have been available by mail and in person since September 18. Direct early voting, when a voter places the ballot into a counter, begins October 16. The last day to vote early in person is November 2.
Return an absentee ballot
A mailed or package-delivered absentee ballot must be received on Election Day. Personal returns are due by 5 p.m. November 3. Mail and package delivery, qualifying agent delivery, and mail-ballot precinct rules have different 8 p.m. provisions.
October 13advance registration deadline
September 18absentee voting began
October 16direct early voting begins
November 3General Election Day
Election timeline
Absentee voting begins
Ballots become available for voting by mail and in person 46 days before the general election.
Advance registration deadline
Register online by 11:59 p.m. or submit paper registration by 5 p.m. Minnesota still permits registration when voting in person.
Write-in request deadline
Federal, state, and judicial write-in candidates must file the written request by this deadline for their votes to be counted separately.
Direct early voting begins
This is the first day voters may place an early ballot directly into a ballot counter. In-person absentee voting using the envelope method began September 18.
Recommended mail-ballot application date
The Secretary of State recommends applying by this date. It is a planning recommendation, not a published statutory request cutoff.
Last day to vote before Election Day
This is the last day to vote early in person. Official locations generally provide extended hours until 5 p.m.; check the location listing for exceptions.
General Election Day
Most polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Small towns may open as late as 10 a.m. Anyone in line by 8 p.m. may vote. Personal absentee-ballot returns are due by 5 p.m.; mail or package delivery must arrive by 8 p.m.
Check the current rule: A current and active registered voter does not need identification to vote. A voter registering or updating a record at the voting location, or one who has not voted in four years or more, must show proof of residence. Poll opening times and absentee return rules can vary for small towns, agent delivery, and mail-ballot precincts. Check the official location and return instructions before traveling.
1 statewide constitutional amendment
The official constitutional-amendments page lists one statewide question. Leaving the amendment blank has the same effect as voting no.
- Constitutional Amendment 1Increasing funding to school districts. Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to increase the funding going to all school districts from the permanent school fund, which is a fund that supports school districts without raising individual income or property taxes, effective July 1, 2027?
7 statewide appellate judicial candidate contests
All Minnesota voters decide Associate Justice - Supreme Court seats 1 and 4 and Court of Appeals seats 1, 7, 13, 15, and 18. Each has one printed nonpartisan candidate plus a generic write-in line. These seven elections are included in the 12 contest and 23 printed-choice totals. District Court races vary by judicial district and are excluded.
Open the official statewide judicial rosterUse the official sample ballot and election pages
The Secretary of State's sample-ballot and voting pages provide the ballot style, voting locations, and rules tied to an address. Local races and questions vary.
Open Minnesota's ballot guideOfficial voter links
2026 elections calendarOfficial statewide general-election, advance registration, and pre-election voting dates.Register to voteOfficial eligibility, online, paper, and registration-when-voting guidance.Other ways to voteOfficial 2026 absentee and direct early-voting dates.Return your ballotOfficial receipt, personal drop-off, mail, package, agent, and mail-ballot precinct rules.Voting hoursMost state and federal election polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.; listed small towns may open later.Voter identificationOfficial rule for active registered voters and proof-of-residence requirements for voters who must register or update.Voting locations before Election DayOfficial county and municipal in-person absentee and direct early-voting locations and hours.
Dates checked October 1, 2026. Confirm them at the linked official source.