How to vote in Minnesota

As a college student at Minnesota State in the year 2024, there’s a good chance that this will be the first presidential election in which you’ll be voting. Voting is obviously important as it’s an easy civic duty that helps shape the government we all live under as Americans.

But it can also be a bit complicated for a variety of reasons. So here is a guide to help answer questions people might have about the voting process.

To start with: Election Day this year is Nov. 5, 2024. In case you forget that date just remember that in the United States, the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November has been designated by Congress as the day national elections are held.

The first thing to know is that you have to be registered to vote in order to vote. But good news! It is in fact possible to register to vote up to and even on Election Day! All you need to do to register to vote on Election Day is present proof of identification and current residence at the polling place.

Furthermore, it is possible to register to vote online at the website for the Minnesota Office for the Secretary of State. You can also print out a paper ballot or for those not sure about if they are registered to vote, check your registration on the SOS site as well.

One thing to note is that voter registration data such as name and address are public information, although not everyone can obtain the data. However, for those who have experienced family violence or intimate partner violence, programs such as Safe at Home can help ensure voter data is kept confidential.

Some other things to know:

If you have been convicted of a felony, you can still vote in Minnesota unless you are currently serving a felony sentence.

Members of the military can have an absentee ballot sent to them anywhere in the world.

Homeless people can also vote in Minnesota even if they do not have an official address. Homeless individuals may need to bring an individual with them to verify where they sleep at night or a staff member of the shelter they are sleeping at to verify they are staying at a shelter.

Being a member of a residential facility is also not a prohibition to voting but residents will need to bring a member of the facility to verify their residency.

If you want to vote in person on election day, you can find where to vote on pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us. Simply put your address in to find out where your polling place is.

There will be one ballot measure to vote on in Minnesota in 2024 and that will be to extend the dedication of lottery-derived revenue to the Environment and Natural Resources Fund for 25 years. More information on this measure can be found on Ballotpedia.com.

Further information on voting can be found at www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/

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