The primaries, the debates and the campaigning are all out of the way. The only thing that is left to do is vote -- but chances are, your polling place may have changed due to redistricting.
"If you have not been to your polling place since the last presidential election, there's a good chance that it did change," Casey Carl, Minneapolis City Clerk, warned.
Election officials have been hard at work, delivering voting supplies to thousands of places across the state, but many of those locations were moved after the state's districts changed following the 2012 census. In fact, thousands of Minnesotans will cast their ballots inside a new polling place. So, how do voters know where to go?
All registered voters should have received a card in the mail to confirm their current polling place, but even that's no guarantee.
The best way to avoid wasting your time is to log onto mnvotes.org and type in your address to find out exactly where to go. You can also get a copy of a sample ballot to review before leaving home.
For those who do mistakenly go to the wrong location, the first person to greet you should be able to help point you in the right direction.
"This greeter, as the name implies, will be talking to people as they come into the poling place and making sure that folks are in the right place," explained Ramsey County Elections Manager Joe Mansky. "If they're not, then we'll have the directions for them to go to the correct polling place."
As for when is the best time to vote, Carl recommends avoiding peak hours to avoid long lines.
"Typically, we have a high spike in the beginning of the day, again at noon -- at the lunch hour, and towards the end as we're closing from 5-8 p.m.," he said.
NOT REGISTERED? NOT A PROBLEM
If you are not registered to vote or need to update your registration information, you may do so at your local polling location on Election Day as long as you can provide proof of residence.
To register at your polling place on Election Day, you must bring one of the following with your current name and address to verify your residence in the precinct :
- A valid Minnesota driver's license, learner's permit, Minnesota ID card, or receipt for any of these
- A valid student ID card including your photo, if your college has provided a student housing list to election officials
- A Tribal ID card that contains your picture and signature
- A valid registration in the same precinct under a different name or address
- A notice of late registration sent to you by your county auditor or city clerk
- A voter registered in the same precinct as you who can confirm your address with a signed oath
- An employee of the residential facility where you live who can confirm your address with a signed oath
- Both 1) a photo ID from the list below, and 2) a current bill from the list below with your current name and address in the precinct
Photo IDs (may be expired)
- Minnesota Driver's License
- Minnesota ID Card
- United States Passport
- United States Military ID Card
- Tribal ID Card
- Minnesota University, College, or Technical College ID Card
Bills (delivered electronically or by mail)
- Utility bill due within 30 days of election day:
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- Telephone (landline, cell, VOIP, etc.)
- TV (cable, satellite, etc.)
- Internet services
- Electric
- Gas
- Solid Waste
- Sewer Services
- Water
- Rent statement dated within 30 days of election day that itemizes utilities
- Current student fee statement
