Voter Registration

Registration: May be submitted in person, online, or by mail (postmarked) twenty-one days before Election Day. You may also register to vote in person on Election Day or when you vote by absentee ballot. You may register and vote in a party caucus while you are still 17 if you will be 18 by the date of the general election.

Residency: Students have the right to establish voting residency in the place they consider their principal home, whether that be their current school address or at a previous address (such as parents’ address) they still consider to be “home.”

Identification: Most Minnesota voters do not need to show ID when voting. However, if you are a first-time Minnesota voter who registered by mail, and election officials could not verify your identifying numbers (your Minnesota driver’s license or ID number or the last four digits of your Social Security number), you will have to provide proof of identification, either at the polls or any time before Election Day. Minnesota also allows for another voter to vouch for your identity.

Absentee Voting: Minnesota allows any voter to vote absentee. You must submit an application in person or by mail so that it is received the day before the election. If you submit your ballot in person, you must do so by 5 p.m. on the day before the election. You must submit your ballot by mail so that it is received by the close of polls on Election Day. Your completed ballot must be witnessed by another registered Minnesota voter or a notary.

Early Voting: Minnesota has an early voting program conducted through in-person absentee voting. Check with your county election office for dates, locations, and hours.

See the full Minnesota student voting guide.
All information obtained from the Brennan Center For Justice at New York University School of Law.

Disclaimer: The CSS McNair Scholars program does not support or affiliate with any political party or organization. We encourage our students to engage civically.