Election Day · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
How to vote in Minnesota
The deadlines, early voting, mail ballots and ID rules for Minnesota, and what happens after the polls close. Every fact links to the Minnesota Secretary of State or the law it comes from. Rules change, and courts sometimes change them close to an election, so confirm anything you are relying on with the state.
Checked against official sources on October 7.
Key dates
- Register online by
Tuesday, October 13
Computed: online registration through the Secretary of State's website closes at 11:59 p.m. on the 21st day before the election (Minn. Stat. 201.061).
- Register by mail by
Tuesday, October 13
Computed: received (not postmarked) by 5 p.m. on the 21st day before the election.
- Register in person by
Tuesday, October 13
Pre-registration deadline (5 p.m.); after it, register at your polling place on Election Day or while voting early in person.
- Same-day registration
Yes
Election Day registration at the polling place with proof of residence (Minn. Stat. 201.061, subd. 3); the accepted documents were not listed here.
- Early voting
Friday, September 18 to Monday, November 2
Computed: 46 days before the election. The Secretary of State also lists September 18 as the day mail ballots start going out.
- How early voting works
For the last 18 days (from October 16), early voters put their ballot directly into the tabulator, like voting at the polls. Sites and hours are set by county and city election offices.
- Request a mail ballot by
No fixed request deadline is published; the Secretary of State recommends applying by October 20 so there is time to mail the ballot back.
- Return your mail ballot by
Tuesday, November 3
Received, not postmarked: ballots arriving after 8 p.m. on Election Day are marked late and not counted (Minn. Stat. 203B.08).
- Election Day polling hours
7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Central time.
Voting by mail
- Who can vote by mail
Any voter can vote by mail
Any eligible voter may vote absentee. You do not need to be registered to apply; a registration form comes with the ballot.
- Drop boxes
county option
Minn. Stat. 203B.082 governs absentee ballot drop boxes: county auditors and municipal clerks set up locations and submit them to the Secretary of State; boxes must be recorded continuously and emptied each business day. Locations vary by county.
- Ballots arriving after Election Day
Not counted — your ballot must arrive by the deadline
Ballots received after 8 p.m. on Election Day are not counted.
ID at the polls
- The rule
No ID needed for most voters
Minn. Stat. 204C.10(a): a voter signs the polling place roster or voter signature certificate; the statute does not ask for ID. Election Day registrants must prove residence (Minn. Stat. 201.061, subd. 3).
- What to bring
Registered voters sign the roster and need no ID. Someone registering on Election Day proves residence with a Minnesota driver's license or ID card, another document approved by the Secretary of State, a student fee statement plus photo ID, or by having a registered voter in the precinct vouch for them.
Minn. Stat. 201.061, subd. 3(a) and 204C.10(a).
When will we know results in Minnesota?
How fast results come in depends mostly on when the polls close and when election officials are allowed to start on mail ballots. Totals shown on election night are unofficial until the state certifies them.
- Last polls close
8 p.m. Central time — 9 p.m. Eastern
Central time; the whole state is in one time zone.
- Mail ballots can be processed from
Thursday, October 15
Computed: after close of business on the 19th day before the election, ballot boards may open accepted ballot envelopes and deposit the ballots in the ballot box (Minn. Stat. 203B.121).
- Mail ballots can be counted from
Tuesday, November 3
Ballots are counted (vote totals tabulated) only after polls close on Election Day.
- Counties finish their count by
Friday, November 6
Computed: county canvassing boards meet between the 3rd and 8th days after the election (November 6–11).
- State certifies results
Thursday, November 19
Computed: the State Canvassing Board meets on the 16th day after the election and declares results within three days of finishing.
- Automatic recount
less than 0.25%
A publicly funded manual recount is held, on the candidate's written request, when the margin is under one-quarter of one percent (or 10 votes or fewer when 400 or fewer votes are cast).
- Requested recount
A losing candidate may request a recount at their own expense when the margin is wider; costs shift to the government if the recount changes the margin by more than 0.25% and two votes.
- Runoff
No general election runoff.
- Ranked-choice voting
Not used
Not used for state or federal races (some cities use it locally).
- Votes needed to pass a ballot measure
A constitutional amendment must be approved by a majority of everyone voting in the election, so a blank vote on the question counts as a no.
Minnesota Constitution, Article IX, Section 1.
- New governor takes office
Monday, January 4, 2027
Minn. Const. art. VII, § 7: the official year of the state commences on the first Monday in January and all terms of office terminate at that time; the first Monday in January 2027 is January 4.
What’s on your ballot
Every contest you will vote on, from Congress to school board, with each candidate’s positions and record and the arguments for and against them.
Confirm this with the official source
Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Minnesota Secretary of State.