Today marks the start of early voting for the August 11 Primary Election

 

County election offices are now open for in-person voting.   There are three ways to vote in Minnesota: By Mail: Minnesotans can vote by mail by requesting a ballot at mnvotes.gov/absentee starting June 26. About 150,000 Minnesotans live in mail-ballot precincts and will be mailed a ballot automatically if they are registered to vote. To be counted, absentee ballots returned in-person must be received by local election offices by 5 p.m. on Election Day. Absentee ballots returned by mail and mail ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Voters can track their ballot at mnvotes.gov/trackmyballot.  Early In-Person: Minnesotans can vote early in person at their county election offices and designated early voting centers during business hours between June 26 and August 10. Check your county elections website for available early voting locations. Beginning on July 24, voters can cast their ballot into a ballot tabulator using the new early voting process. Learn more about voting early in-person. In-Person on Election Day: Minnesotans can vote in-person at their local polling place on Tuesday, August 11. Find your polling place at mnvotes.gov/pollfinder. Check your registration online at mnvotes.gov/register. All polling places are open until 8 p.m. As long as voters are in line to vote by 8 p.m. they can vote. In Minnesota, people can register to vote on election day.

Get to know the Candidates    As early voting begins, VOTE411 is now live and ready to help voters get to know their candidates. Vote411 brings candidate information and questionnaire responses into one accessible, nonpartisan voter guide so people can make informed choices at every level of the ballot. It is available in English and Spanish.

Help us Close the Information Gap and Strengthen Democracy   According to a recent poll conducted by LWVMN and StratSimple, the number one reason eligible voters in Minnesota don’t cast a ballot is because they don’t know the candidates. VOTE411 is one way to break down that barrier and ensure voters have the information they need.   If you see candidates who have not yet completed their VOTE411 questionnaire, we invite you to reach out and encourage them to do so; contact information for all candidates is available in VOTE411. It is an easy thing you can do to help our democracy and encourage high turnout!     Sample Email: "Hello, I was just on VOTE411 and noticed that your questionnaire has not yet been completed. As a potential constituent, it’s important to me, and other voters, to hear your views in your own words. If you have any questions or need assistance, please feel free to contact the LWVMN office at vote411@lwvmn.org. I hope to see your answers on VOTE411 soon."   Thank you for being part of this work and for helping ensure voters are informed, engaged, and ready to participate.