(FOX 9) - Minnesota voters can begin casting absentee ballots for the 2026 election on Friday, Sept. 18, marking the start of the state's absentee voting period ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3.
Absentee voting: What you need to know
What we know:
Absentee ballots can be mailed or submitted in person starting this Friday, Sept. 18. Ballots must be returned no later than 5 p.m. on Election Day and must be returned to the office that sent the ballot during office hours. However, some jurisdictions do have ballot drop boxes that can be used 24 hours a day.
You cannot submit your absentee ballot at a polling place on Election Day.
To request an absentee ballot, you can request it online.
Early voting in October
What's next:
Early voting begins October 16 in Minnesota. The difference with early voting versus absentee voting in person is that your ballot now gets processed through a tabulator.
Early voting runs through Monday, November 2. Then Election Day 2026 will be on Tuesday, November 3.
Supreme Court blocks Trump mail rules
Big picture view:
In recent months, there were concerns over how the United States Postal Service would handle mail ballots.
The Postal Service vowed to institute new rules issued by the Trump administration, restricting who could receive mail-in ballots. Under the rules, states would have been required to submit lists of eligible voters who could receive mail ballots and the USPS would have only delivered mail ballots to voters on those lists. The executive order by President Trump also would have required states to use uniform ballot styles.
Those rules faced court challenges, including a lawsuit that Minnesota was part of. Just this week, lower courts blocked the rules from going into effect. Then on Monday, the Supreme Court rejected an emergency application from the Trump administration to block the lower court rulings.
That decision blocks the new rules from going into effect for the midterms. However, it's possible the Supreme Court could take up the matter at a later date and issue a decision on the rules for future elections.
The other side:
Last month, Minnesota joined a lawsuit challenging the Postal Service's plan. In recent days, two federal judges have issued rulings blocking the order from going into effect, including an order issued just this past weekend.
The matter now seems poised to be headed to the Supreme Court.
Major races in Minnesota
Local perspective:
Minnesotans will decide on some key races this election cycle, including the race for governor and a new U.S. senator.
Minnesota governor/lieutenant governor
- Amy Klobuchar and Ben Schierer (DFL)
- Lisa Demuth and Ryan Wilson (GOP)
- Steven Young and Jane Kirby (Green)
U.S. Senate
- Michele Tafoya (GOP)
- Peggy Flanagan (DFL)
- Rebecca Whiting (Libertarian)
- Marisa Simonetti (Independent)
Attorney General
- Keith Ellison (DFL)
- Ronald J. Schutz (GOP)
Secretary of State
- Steve Simon (DFL)
- Tad Jude (GOP)
- George "Chip" Tangen (Libertarian)
- Seth Kuhl-Stennes (Green)
Congressional District 2
- Eric Pratt (GOP)
- Matt Little (DFL)
The Source: This story uses information from the Minnesota Secretary of State's Office and previous FOX 9 reporting.