Quick Summary
As of the close of business on October 17, Minnesota's election officials are permitted to start processing ballots. Additionally, as of October 18, voting locations are allowed to open their doors to voters who would like to cast their ballot early, in person.
Helping library patrons learn about their voting options and about the administration of elections in Minnesota is a great way to boost the public's confidence in our elections. Share the following information with your patrons to support the process, and join me for a free webinar on October 31 so you're ready to support your community all the way to November 5.
What's happening now
Minnesota counties, cities, and towns were permitted to begin to use absentee ballot boards to start processing ballots after the close of business on October 17. Throughout the voting period, election judges will verify that returned ballots meet all legal requirements to be accepted and that no voter has cast more than one ballot. Once ballot processing begins, election judges will then open the signature envelopes and separate the ballot from the voter’s information to maintain ballot secrecy.
Once the ballot envelopes are separated, they are opened, reviewed by election judges, duplicated if necessary, and inserted in the ballot counter. Examples where judges would need to duplicate a ballot include if a ballot was damaged or unreadable by the tabulator. Tabulators will not produce election results until after the close of polls on Election Day. Learn more about the absentee ballot process.
Also, as of October 18, Minnesota counties, cities, and towns can choose to offer direct balloting for voters. Direct balloting allows voters to place their ballot directly into a tabulator just like on Election Day. All tabulators used to process absentee ballots must remain secured throughout the process. Tabulators will not produce election results until after the close of polls on Election Day. With direct balloting, you fill in a regular ballot – not an absentee ballot – and place it directly into the vote tabulator. Learn more about voting early in person.
