Many of us have our sights set on the Presidential Election in November but there is an important step before that election: the primaries. Voters are deciding partisan races that will be on the ballot in November.
Minnesota voters are heading to the polls Tuesday, August 13th from 7 am until 8 pm. But before you go, it’s important to know what these elections are about and to make sure you are registered to vote.
“We get a lot of confusion around this primary before the Presidential Election with folks thinking the President is on this ballot. They’re surprised when they only see U.S. senators, U.S. representatives and special and local elections,” said Lydia McComas, Voting Engagement Director for Hennepin County.
Voters in some communities will have hyper-local candidates on the ballot. For example, the cities of Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Dayton, Richfield, Robbinsdale and St. Anthony all have council member and/or school board member seats up for election.
Before you head to the ballot box, it’s important to get a few things in order. First, you’ll want to find your polling place.
“Go to MNVotes.gov and you’ll see a button to click to find your polling place. Once there you’ll be prompted to enter your address and your polling location will come up. You will also get the option to look at a sample ballot so you know exactly what elections you are voting in and who the candidates are.” McComas explained.
Next, you’ll want to make sure you are registered to vote, which you can check on MNVotes.org
If you are registered, you don’t need to bring anything to your polling place. If you are not registered, you can still register and vote like everyone else. You just need to bring an updated photo ID that has your address. If you have recently moved, bring your ID plus a utility bill from the last 30 days. You can find a whole list of approved documents on MNVotes.org
A new law that went into effect in June of 2023 will also allow people with felony convictions to vote as long as they are out of prison. “We’re really excited about these new expansions of voter eligibility in Minnesota. This affects 16,000 people in Hennepin County and 60,000 people in the state of Minnesota.” McComas added.
So how about you? Have you voted in the primaries? Polls are open until 8 pm on Tuesday, August 13th so you can make an impact.
“When you vote you make your voice heard,” McComas said. “You hold your elected officials accountable and you impact important issues that affect your community and we’re here to make sure your vote is counted with integrity and accuracy.”