One week until Election Day: What to know before casting your ballot

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - We’re just one week away from Election Day when millions of Americans will vote on who represents them.

In the meantime, there’s a few things you can do to prepare before hitting the polls.

The Secretary of State’s website is Minnesota’s primary resource for voting information.

Visit sos.state.mn.us and hover over the ‘Elections and Voting’ tab to select from a menu of options.

You can enter your name and address to check your registration status as well as your polling place location, which may have changed when congressional maps were redrawn earlier this year.

Deadlines have already passed for first-time voters to register online or on paper, but you can still sign up on Election Day at your polling place with proof of address.

If you’ve already registered, you won’t need to bring anything with you.

Just sign by your name on the list to receive your ballot.

Most polling places will open at 7 a.m. at close at 8 p.m., and as long as you’re in line by then, you can vote.

It’s important to remember that Minnesota law allows you to take off work to vote without losing pay, personal leave or vacation time.

For those looking to vote absentee, it’s not too late to request a ballot online or from your county election office, but you’ll need to allow time for officials to mail it to you.

Absentee ballots may be returned by mail as long as they’re received by Election Day.

You can also drop them off no later than 3 p.m. at your election office or at a designated ballot drop box location.

Find out who’s on your ballot ahead of time by clicking the “What’s on my ballot?” tab.

You can read up on the candidates on websites like BallotReady.org which highlights their experience, education, key issues and endorsements.

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