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 paper ballots in the box.

• 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

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Elections Facts from OSS

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.