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Minnesota absentee and mail ballot guide
Minnesota absentee ballot overview
Absentee ballots and mail ballots are the same thing, and the process for getting one is straight forward.
- Request your ballot by the deadline
- Receive your in ballot in the mail
- Return your ballot by the deadline
Minnesota absentee deadlines
- Earliest day to apply: January 1
- Request deadline (online): 1 day before Election Day
- Request deadline (by mail): Received 1 day before Election Day
- Request deadline (in person): 1 day before Election Day
- Deadline to return your ballot (by mail): Received by Election Day
- Deadline to return your ballot (in person): Received by Election Day
Minnesota absentee ballot rules
Any Minnesota resident can request an absentee ballot. If you are not yet registered, you will receive a voter registration form along with your absentee ballot.
Minnesota online ballot request (recommended)
- Visit the Minnesota absentee ballot website.
- Fill out all of the required information.
- Hit save or submit when you are done.
- The deadline to apply online is: 1 day before Election Day.
Minnesota by-mail ballot request
- Download the Minnesota absentee ballot application.
- Fill out all of the required fields.
- Print the application.
- Sign and date your application. This is very important.
- Mail or hand-deliver your completed application directly to your local election office as soon as possible, but no later than the deadline.
- If it’s close to the deadline, call your local election office and see if they will let you submit your application via email or fax.
- The deadline to apply by mail is: Received 1 day before Election Day.
Minnesota in-person ballot request
- Visit your local election office.
- Ask the clerk to give you an absentee ballot application.
- Fill out all of the required fields.
- Sign and date your application.
- The deadline to apply in person is: 1 day before Election Day.
After you receive your ballot
- Carefully read and follow the instructions, and fill out all required fields.
- Sign and date the outside envelope.
- Mail or hand-deliver your ballot to your local election office. You can also hand-deliver your ballot to a state-provided drop box. Please check with your local election office if your county has a drop box. You can use our Find Out Where To Vote tool to find an official drop box.
- If you mail your ballot, it must be received by Election Day.
- If you hand-deliver your ballot, it must be received by Election Day.
- If you miss the deadline – or forget to sign the outside envelope – your vote will not be counted.
Minnesota absentee ballot ID requirements
- ID required when requesting a mail-in ballot: You must include your Minnesota driver's license, state ID Number, or the last 4 digits of your social security number on your absentee ballot application. If you have none of these, you may sign a statement indicating that you do not have any of these numbers.
- ID required when returning a mail-in ballot: You must include your Minnesota driver's license number, passport number, state ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security Number. Additionally, your signature on the return envelope will be compared to the signature on your voter registration card to ensure they match. If you forget to sign the return envelope, your ballot might be rejected.
Local election office
Contact your local election office if you have questions.
Statewide election office
This is the statewide agency that is ultimately responsible for Minnesota elections. You can contact them with questions, but your local election office will probably respond faster.
Secretary of State 60 Empire Drive, Suite 100 St. Paul, MN 55103‐1855
External resources
- Minnesota online voter registration
- Minnesota online absentee ballot request
- Minnesota voter status lookup
- Minnesota absentee ballot tracker
- Minnesota polling place locator