EARLY VOTING: What you need to know

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - The Minnesota Secretary of State’s office says early voting in the 2024 is outpacing that of the 2016 Election.

In the first four weeks of voting, local election officials have distributed 716,858 absentee and mail ballots in Minnesota. County, city, and township election officials have accepted 337,633 ballots.

“We’re more than halfway through voting season in Minnesota and now is the time to make a plan to vote,” said Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon. “Minnesotans can vote by mail, early in-person, and in-person on Election Day. Starting on October 18, many local election offices will offer direct balloting which replicates the Election Day experience by allowing voters to put their ballots directly into ballot tabulators. Ballot tabulators are secure elections equipment that are tested before every election, certified by state and federal election experts, and kept in secure locations.”

To be eligible to vote, a person must be 18 or older by Election Day, a U.S. Citizen, a resident of Minnesota for at least 20 days, not currently incarcerated for a felony conviction, and not under a court order that revokes your right to vote.

The deadline to register to vote before Election Day was Tuesday, October 15. Minnesotans can still register to vote on Election Day, if needed.

Minnesotans can choose to vote in one of three ways:

By Mail: Minnesotans can vote by mail by requesting a ballot at mnvotes.gov/absentee. About 150,000 Minnesotans live in mail ballot precincts and will be mailed a ballot automatically if they are registered to vote. Ballots must be received by local election offices by 8 p.m. on Election Day to be counted. Voters can track their ballot at mnvotes.gov/trackmyballot.

Early In-Person: Minnesotans can vote absentee in person at their local election office during business hours between September 20 and November 4. There are also special early voting hours during the 2024 General Election:

Saturday, October 26 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tuesday, October 29 open until 7 p.m.

Saturday, November 2 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sunday, November 3 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Monday, November 4 open until 5 p.m.

In-Person on Election Day: Minnesotans can vote in-person at their local polling place on Tuesday, November 5. Find a polling place at mnvotes.gov/pollfinder. All polling places are open until 8 p.m. As long as voters are in line to vote by 8 p.m. they can vote. In Minnesota, people can register to vote on election day.

Voters can call the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State at 1-877-600-VOTE (8683) to ask their voting-related questions. The call center is available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

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