Elections 411

Voter Registration

• Voter registration requires proof of identity and proof of residence, as well as affirmation of eligibility to vote (e.g. U.S. citizen, MN resident at least 20 days) under penalty of law. All voter registration applications are reviewed by election officials to confirm eligibility to vote.

• Minnesota is exempt from the use of provisional ballots as required by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 since we have had election day registration since 1974

• A 2018 audit conducted on voter registration by the Independent Office of the Legislative Auditor did not find significant numbers of ineligible voters nor recommend any additional restrictions to voter access.

Voting in Person

• When a person comes to vote on election day, they must confirm they are who they say they are and live where they say they live with an election judge.

• Ballot integrity is ensured via a daily 3-step bipartisan matching of the number of ballots issued with the number indicated on the ballot tabulator and the number of registered voters checked in.

• From when a ballot is received at the county/city election office or precinct until it is certified by the county and state, pairs of election officials handle the ballots.

Voting by Mail / Absentee

• Absentee ballots require ID verification, a witness, and the voter’s signature. If a voter’s ballot is accepted, it is entered into the Statewide Voter Registration System to ensure they cannot vote again on election day.

• Drop boxes are maintained by the county auditor or municipal clerk, not the USPS.

• All ballots are opened and processed in pairs of absentee ballot board members.

Public Tests, Audits, Recounts

• Public accuracy tests are conducted on all ballot machines / tabulators, which are purchased locally.

• A bipartisan post-election audit is conducted to certify the election, which is open to the public, and includes a final report for all counties.

• After the audit, all ballots are kept in protected storage for 22 months.

• A formal complaint and public recount process already exists to address the very negligible errors that can occur.

Election Facts - Trusted Sources

Help us replace false claims and misinformation with proven facts from trusted sources about our elections. We will continually update this webpage with resources on Minnesota’s election laws. If there is other information that you think should be shared on this page, please let us know.

MN OSS Facts

In a partnership between the Office of the Secretary of State (OSS) and county, city, and township governments, we hold elections that are consistently at the top in voter turnout. On this page you'll find resources from OSS to help explain WHY we know our elections are fair, accurate, and secure.

Voter Engagement Team

Want to be directly involved in engaging voters and participating in our election safeguards? Check out LWVMN’s Volunteer webpage to learn about the different ways that you can play a role in defending democracy today!

Submit a Letter to the Editor

Now that you know the facts about our elections, consider writing a letter to your local paper or newsletter from the content on this page. We have samples that you can work from including a featured article every month until the 2024 election results are certified!