Elections
Absentee and early voting
You can vote early by absentee if you are an eligible voter, even if you are on parole or probation.
Application is required in Minnesota.
Ballot tracker for county, state or federal elections
Keep your name and address safe
Vote early by mail
Apply, receive, and return a ballot by mail.
Application is required in Minnesota.
Application process
- If you can’t apply online, print and complete a paper application:
- Email it to hc.vote@hennepin.us or return it by mail or FAX at 612-348-2151.
When ballots are mailed
Ballots are mailed beginning 46 days before Election Day. For special elections, ballots are mailed as soon as they are available.
Track your ballot
Confirm your ballot was received and counted on the state’s ballot tracker.
Return deadline
Return by mail
Mail your ballot back in the pre-paid, pre-addressed envelope you received. Ballots returned by mail must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Use express delivery if you don't think your ballot will be received in time with regular mail service.
Return in person or drop-off
You can drop off your ballot and the ballots for up to 3 voters. Ballots returned in person or drop-off must be received by 5 p.m. on Election Day.
Vote early in person
You can register when you vote early if you show proof of residence.
On Election Day, you must vote at your polling place.
2026 elections
- February 3: Precinct Caucus. Contact your political party for more information
about party caucuses. - February 3-17: Candidate Filing Period for April special election
- February 27: Absentee voting begins for April special election
- March 10: Township Elections
- March 3-17: Candidate Filing Period for May special election
- April 14: Election Day, April special election
- March 27-May 11: Absentee voting for May special
- May 12: Election Day, Ward 3 Champlin special
- June 26: Absentee voting opens for Primary Election
- August 11: Primary Election
- September 18: Absentee voting opens for General Election
- November 3: General Election
Cities and school districts having elections are listed on Offices on the ballot.
Upcoming elections
See the Minnesota Secretary of State's voting locations before election day.
Get help voting
You can bring someone to help, ask election staff, use a machine to help you mark your ballot or vote from your car.
Vote while in the military or out of the country
We can send you a ballot anywhere in the world.
Ballots can be issued by mail, fax or email.
Your voted ballot must be returned by mail no matter how you received it.
A spouse, parent, sibling or child over 18, can apply for you.
If you are abroad indefinitely with no plans to return to Minnesota, you will only vote for federal offices.
Eligibility
- Military members serving outside their home precinct.
- Citizens living abroad temporarily or indefinitely.
- Spouses and dependents of military members.
Military members include: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine, Commissioned corps of the Public Health Service, Commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Minnesotans enrolled as students at a U.S. Service Academy.
Help
Military members should contact their voting assistance officer (VAO).
Overseas citizens should contact the U.S. embassy or consulate.
Application process
- Re-apply annually and after a change of mailing address.
- Your ballot application is also a voter registration application.
- You'll automatically receive a ballot for any election you're eligible to vote in through December 31 of the year you apply, or through the next election held in November of an even-number year, whichever is later.
If you can't apply online, print, complete and return the federal postcard application (PDF, 1MB) by email to ts.vote.uocava@hennepin.us.
If you can’t email it, then mail, FAX or drop it off in person to Hennepin County Elections.
When ballots are issued
We start mailing ballots 46 days before Election Day.
If you aren't in the continental U.S. and requested a mailed ballot, it will be sent by airmail.
To get your mailed ballot faster, provide a prepaid express delivery envelope.
Track your ballot
Confirm your ballot was received and counted using the state’s ballot tracker.
For military and overseas voters: if you haven't received your ballot or you don't think it will reach us by election day, you may submit a federal write-in absentee ballot (PDF, 1MB).
Return
Your voted ballot must be returned by mail no matter how you received it.
Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on election day.
Use an express delivery service if you don't think your ballot will be received in time with regular mail service.
Vote by agent
In special situations, you may ask someone to pick up a ballot for you. Someone may also return your voted ballot for you.
Eligibility
You can vote by agent if you are a:
- Patient in a hospital, residential treatment center, or nursing home
- Resident of
- A group home
- A battered women's shelter
- An assisted living facility
- Voter with disability or other incapacitating health issue
Process
You can assign an agent starting 7 days before Election Day.
- Choose someone who:
- You have a pre-existing relationship with
- Is at least 18 years old
- Isn’t a candidate in the election
- Hasn’t already been an agent of more than 3 other voters
- Complete the following:
- Have your agent bring the completed forms to your local elections office.
- Your agent will be given your ballot to bring to you.
- Vote your ballot.
- Have your agent return your voted ballot to the office they picked it up at.
- Your agent must show an ID with name and signature.
- Voted ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Accessible voting
If needed, we can provide an accessible ballot.
Permanent absentee voting
You can automatically receive an absentee ballot before every election you are eligible to vote.
Enroll
Complete the Permanent absentee voter application (PDF, 2MB).
Cancel enrollment
Complete the Notice to be removed from permanent absentee voter status (PDF, 1MB).
Pre-filled absentee ballot applications
Organizations send out mailings to increase voter participation. These applications are sent by third-party groups and should be identified as such.
Mailings can include information regarding voter registration status, along with pre-filled absentee ballot and voter registration applications.
We can’t guarantee the accuracy of data they use. Contact our office with questions.
How we process absentee ballots
Only accepted absentee ballots are counted.
Absentee ballot counting can start 19 days before Election Day at 5 p.m.
Accepted or rejected ballot envelopes
When we get your voted ballot back, it's matched to your application.
All information on the envelope must be complete, the signature and ID information must match those on the application.
The envelope is marked either accepted or rejected.
Accepted ballots are held in a secure location until counting begins.
Rejected ballots are not counted. If your ballot's rejected, you'll get a replacement.
Common reasons ballots are rejected
- Voter didn't sign the signature envelope.
- Voter’s ID number didn't match the one on the application.
- Voter didn't have a witness.
- Non-registered voter didn't fill out their Election Day registration form.
- Ballot wasn't received by Election Day.
Ballots aren't rejected for a missing secrecy envelope.
The counting of accepted absentee ballots
The count starts 19 days before Election Day after 5 p.m.
It’s done by teams of 2 or more people, 1 precinct at a time until all precincts are counted.
Steps to count accepted absentee ballots
- Count the unopened envelopes.
- Compare the count to the voter database to ensure every accepted ballot is counted.
- Take the ballot secrecy envelope out of the signature envelope. This removes the connection between a voter and their vote. Signature envelopes are set aside.
- Remove ballots from the secrecy envelope and run them through a ballot counter.
- Counted ballots are sealed and stored in a secure area with the rest of absentee materials. As required by statute and rules.
- Results can’t be accessed or released before the polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day.
- After the polls close, the results from each polling place are transmitted to us.
- Absentee votes are combined with results from the polling place and then released.