Election Day in Minnesota: When the polls are open, where I can vote, what's on my ballot

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – Election Day in Minnesota is Tuesday, November 5. Here’s everything you need to know before heading to the polls.

When the polls close, stick with FOX 9 for live election results on FOX 9, FOX9.com, FOX LOCAL, YouTube and TikTok.

What time are the polling stations open?

Polling place in Ramsey County, Minnesota. (FOX9)

Most polling stations open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m Election Day. As long as you are in line at 8 p.m., you can vote, even if you don’t get to the front of the line until after 8 p.m.

However, in state and federal elections, towns with fewer than 500 residents are not required to open until 10 a.m., but most choose to open at 7 a.m.

Where is my polling station?

You can check your polling place and voting location by visiting the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State (SOS) website here.

There you fill in the information in the directions to find the address of your police station and which police station you belong to. The page also contains additional information about your congressional district, school district, judicial district, county commissioner, and Senate and House of Representatives districts.

The website also provides poll locations, the list of candidates, and a sample ballot for your district.

What is on my ballot?

This year, Minnesotans will vote for president, as well as in several statewide elections, including the U.S. Senate, U.S. House and a statewide ballot question, as well as the Minnesota House of Representatives. Many communities also have local races on the ballot.

Who can vote?

To be allowed to vote you must:

An American citizen
At least 18 years old on election day
A resident of Minnesota for 20 days
Currently not incarcerated on a felony conviction
Not on the basis of a court order that revokes your right to vote

For more ways to register to vote, click here.

Here’s how to check your voter registration

Voters can check their registration status in Minnesota elections website here.

To determine whether you are registered, complete a form with your first and last name, date of birth and address.

What should I bring to vote?

If you have a registered voteri.e. if you registered at least 21 days before the election and have not moved or changed your name since then, you do not need to bring any ID.

However, if you have yet to register or update your registration, or if you have not voted for four years or more, you must provide proof of your residence before voting.

On Election Day, you must bring a valid Minnesota ID with your name and address, or a photo ID and a document with your current name and address.

Approved photo IDs (may expire):

Driver’s license, identification card or learner’s permit issued by a state.
American passport
US Military or Veteran ID
Tribe ID with name, signature and photo
ID of Minnesota university, college or technical college
Minnesota high school ID

Approved documents (these can be shown on an electronic device):

Bill, bill or initial statement payable or dated within 30 days of the election for: telephone, TV or internet, solid waste, sewerage, electricity, gas or water, banking or credit card, rent or mortgage
Residential lease or rental agreement valid through election day
Current tuition fee statement

An already registered voter can ‘stand in’ for you at the polling station. This means that the registered voter from your district can come with you to the polling station and sign an oath confirming your address. A registered voter can represent up to eight people.

How are votes counted?

On election day, polling stations are administered by election judges. Important tasks, such as assisting voters and counting ballots, are performed by two judges from different major political parties. On election night, the judges verify that the number of votes cast corresponds to the number of votes by verifying that the number of signatures on the list or on the voter ID certificates corresponds to the total number of votes.

Additionally, absentee ballots received on Election Day cannot be counted until it is confirmed that the voter has not yet 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 voting process begins before 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 the signature envelope is filled out correctly.

Ballots are kept securely for up to 19 days before the election. The envelopes are then reviewed by election judges before being processed. However, absentee ballot totals will not be finalized until after the polls close.

For more information about the absentee voting process, please contact the Secretary of State website here. For more information about post-election procedures, click here.

Report voice problems

Provincial attorneys have the legal authority and jurisdiction to investigate possible violations of election law. If you suspect election misconduct, discrimination, voter intimidation, or other irregularities, you can file a complaint with your county attorney’s office. here online.

For issues related to the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), such as issues with voting machine standards, posted voting information, or voter registration, please complete a form. online form here and visit the Secretary of State’s website for more information on next steps.

For more information on how to report voice problems, click here.

How do I find a provincial election office?

A county elections official helps maintain voter registration, votes absentee and in-person, and handles other aspects of the voting process.

Every county in Minnesota has an elections official and someone to contact for absentee voting, military absentee voting, and overseas absentee voting. To find your county’s elections office, visit the Secretary of State’s office website here.

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