Election Day in MN: When polls are open, where to vote, what's on my ballot
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - It's Election Day in Minnesota. Voters in some communities will cast ballots for city offices, school board and ballot questions. Here's everything you need to know.
What's on my ballot?
Local perspective:
Some communities will be voting for mayor and city council members. School board, local ballot questions and school funding requests are also on some ballots this year, but not for every voter. There are also two special elections this year, in Senate District 29 and Senate District 47.
In Minneapolis, mayor and city council seats are on the ballot. In St. Paul, there's a mayoral race and a ballot question for voters.
Click the links below for more information on some of the major races in Minnesota this year:
- Minneapolis city elections: mayor, city council
- St. Paul city elections: mayor, ballot question
- Special Election for Senate District 29
- Special Election for Senate District 47
You can view what's on your ballot here.
What time do polls open?
Most polls open on Election Day, Nov. 4, at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. As long as you’re in line by 8 p.m. you will be allowed to vote, even if you do not reach the front of the line until after 8 p.m.
However, in elections that are only for cities, towns, and/or school districts — like this year's election — polling places located in the Twin Cities metro area do not have to open until 10 a.m. Those outside the metropolitan area do not have to open until 5 p.m. You can contact your municipal/school clerk or county elections office to confirm your polling place hours.
Where is my polling place?
Find your polling place at mnvotes.org/pollfinder. You can also get a map and directions to your polling place.
How to register to vote/check your voter registration
You can check your voter registration or register to vote at mnvotes.org.
If you are not already registered to vote or need to update your voter registration, you can do so at your polling place on Election Day or at an early voting location.
To register at your polling place on Election Day (or at an early voting location), you need to bring one of the following for proof of residence:
ID with current name and address
- Valid Minnesota driver’s license, learner’s permit or ID; or a receipt for any of these
- Tribal ID with name, address, photo and signature
Photo ID AND a document with current name and address
Approved photo IDs (the ID can be expired):
- Driver's license, state ID or learner’s permit issued by any state
- U.S. Passport
- U.S. Military or Veteran ID
- Tribal ID with name, signature and photo
- Minnesota university, college or technical college ID
- Minnesota high school ID
Approved documents with current name and address (can be shown on an electronic device):
- Bill, account or start-of-service statement due or dated within 30 days of the election for: phone, TV or internet, solid waste, sewer, electric, gas or water, banking or credit card, rent or mortgage
- Residential lease or rent agreement valid through Election Day
- Current student fee statement
Registered voter who can confirm your address
A registered voter from your precinct can go with you to the polling place to sign an oath confirming your address. This is known as 'vouching.' A registered voter can vouch for up to eight voters. You cannot vouch for others if someone vouched for you.
College student ID with housing list
Colleges and universities may send election officials a student housing list. If you are on the list, show your college photo ID to complete your registration.
Valid registration in the same precinct
If you are registered in the precinct but changed names or moved within the same precinct, you only need to tell the election judge your previous name or address.
Notice of Late Registration
If you registered to vote within 20 days of the election, you may get a Notice of Late Registration in the mail. Bring it with you and use it as your proof of residence to register.
Staff person of a residential facility
If you live in a residential facility, a staff person can go with you to the polling place to confirm your address.
The staff person must prove their employment at the facility. There are several ways to do this, including by showing an employee badge.
There are two other ways to register to vote, although registration temporarily closes 20 days before the election and opens again on Election Day for voters who register at their polling place.
Register online:
You can register to vote online at mnvotes.org. To register to vote online, you will need an email address and either your Minnesota driver’s license, Minnesota ID card or the last four digits of your social security number. If you do not have those things, you can use a paper application.
Register on paper:
You can download and print a voter registration application from mnvotes.org. Applications can be mailed or dropped off at either your county election office or to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office at
Secretary of State
60 Empire Dr.
Suite 100
St. Paul, MN 55103
How are votes counted?
On Election Day, polling places are managed by election judges. Key tasks, like assisting voters and counting ballots, are handled by two judges from different major political parties. On election night, the judges verify that the number of ballots cast aligns with the number of votes by verifying that the number of signatures on the roster or the voter receipts matches the total ballots.
Additionally, absentee ballots received on Election Day cannot be counted until it's confirmed the voter hasn't already voted in person. After the election, local officials update voter information and address any discrepancies, as noted on the Secretary of State's website.
Meanwhile, the absentee ballot process starts ahead of Election Day. Once an absentee ballot is received at an election office, it is checked by at least two members of the board to ensure that the signature envelope was properly completed.
The ballots are stored securely until 19 days before the election, then the envelopes are reviewed by election judges before being processed. However, absentee ballot totals are only finalized after polling places close.
For more information about the absentee ballot process, visit the Secretary of State's website here. To learn about post-election procedures, click here.
How does ranked choice voting work?
Minneapolis ranked choice voting, explained
A simple explainer of how ranked choice voting works for the Minneapolis mayor and Minneapolis city council races.
Some communities, like Minneapolis and St. Paul, used ranked choice voting for some races. School board races and ballot questions do not use ranked choice voting.
How it works:
Voters have the option to rank candidates in order of preference: first, second, third and so forth. If your first choice doesn’t have a chance to win, your ballot counts for your next choice.
How votes are counted:
All first choice votes are counted. If no candidate has the required number of votes to win (50% plus one), candidates that have the fewest votes and no mathematical possibility of winning are eliminated.
The votes from the eliminated candidates are transferred to the next-ranked candidate on those ballots, and votes are tallied again. Election officials only use your second or third choice if your first choice has already been eliminated.
This ranked choice voting process continues until a candidate reaches the required threshold to win.
You can read more about this on the City of Minneapolis and Ramsey County's websites.
Where can I find election results?
Watch live:
FOX 9 will be live from 4:30 a.m. to 10:35 p.m. on Election Day, providing coverage as results come in after polls close at 8 p.m. Tune in live on FOX 9, FOX LOCAL, YouTube and TikTok.
You can also find election results live here.
Download the latest version of the FOX LOCAL app for your phone to get alerts about live events, the fastest results and all the updates you need on Election Night at fox9.com/apps. Subscribe to the FOX 9 email newsletter for election results in your inbox at fox9.com/newsletters.
How to report voting issues
County attorneys have legal authority and jurisdiction to investigate potential election law violations. If you suspect election misconduct, discrimination, voter intimidation, or other irregularities, you can submit a complaint with your county attorney’s office, which you can find online here.
For concerns related to the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), such as issues with voting machine standards, posted voting information, or voter registration, fill out an online form here and visit the Secretary of State's website to learn of the next steps.
For more information on how to report voting issues, click here.
How to find a county election office?
A county election official helps keep voter registration records, has absentee and in-person voting, and handles other aspects of the voting process.
Each county in Minnesota has an election official and someone to contact for absentee voting, military absentee voting, and overseas absentee voting. To find your county election office, visit the Secretary of State's website here.