Voting in This Year’s Election

 For decades, Minnesota has been at or near the top of voter turnout among the states. In 2020, our last presidential election, Minnesota was first in the nation with 79.96% turn-out of eligible voters.

Because of both old and new laws, Minnesotans should see similar, if not higher, voter turnout this election. At the polls, voting will be safer and more convenient than before.

Who is eligible to vote is the same as in the past. You must be at least 18 years old on Election Day, have lived in Minnesota at least 20 days, not be subject to a court order forbidding voting, and, most importantly, be a U.S. citizen.

This year, Minnesota has also followed the example of 22 other states in allowing formerly incarcerated people to register and vote after they’ve served their time.

Voting is simpler for those who find it difficult or inconvenient to go to the polls on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5. Eligible voters can vote early in person through Monday, November 4. Locations for doing so are listed on the secretary of state’s website.

If you have an absentee ballot and haven’t returned it by mail yet, you should drop off your completed ballot in person at the Elections Office that issued it. Make sure you return your absentee ballot in person by no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day. 

As has been true in Minnesota for more than a decade, you don’t need to give a reason to vote early or by absentee ballot. Absentee voters are kept from voting twice by the Statewide Registration System, which tells election judges if a voter has already voted.

Registration, the first step to voting, is more convenient this year. First, 16- and 17-year-olds can register in advance if they will be 18 years old by Election Day. Second, if they’re not already registered, those eligible to vote are automatically registered when they obtain or renew their drivers’ licenses. And registering the same day you vote is allowed as it has been for the past half century. But if you move, you must re-register with your new address.

Voting is also very secure in Minnesota. All votes are on paper, including those made on voting machines. Results can be easily checked, as was done in statewide recounts in 2008 and 2010 and in a number of local races since. Since Minnesota voting machines aren’t connected to the internet, outsiders can’t manipulate them.

All Minnesota voting equipment is tested and certified by labs accredited by the federal Election Assistance Commission, and they all undergo more testing by the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office. Also, local election officials test all equipment before Election Day. These tests are open to the public.

Election Day balloting, when most Minnesotans vote, is very secure. Voters must provide their name and address, and if questions, their date of birth. They then sign an oath that they are eligible and acknowledge that providing false information is a felony, punishable by a prison sentence.  Sensitive tasks, like assisting voters or counting ballots, must be conducted by two election judges of different political parties.

Finally, before they can leave their polling place for the night, in a process called reconciliation, election judges of multiple political parties must verify the number of ballots match the number of voters.

Over fifty years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King said, “Voting is the foundation stone for political action.” It still is. It is our civic duty to vote to improve our society on the national, state, and local levels. 

Let’s all hope that as many eligible Minnesotans as possible vote this year and make our democracy better.

About the Author: Ken Peterson of St. Paul is a member of Clean Elections Minnesota (cleanelectionsmn.org), a nonpartisan organization that educates and advocates for expanded voter access, transparency, and limiting the power of special interests.