Voting season is here and Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon wants to remind anyone who's not registered to vote to do so.
September 23, next Friday, is the first day of early voting in the state.
Despite high voter turnout numbers each year, Simon said the state still has more than 500,000 people who aren't registered.
“There's a segment out there that not only isn't voting, but isn't even registered to vote, that's eligible,” explains Sec. Simon. “And so we got to get at those folks and let them know how important it is, but maybe even more how easy it is.”
All information about polling places and who or what is on the ballot can be found at MNVotes.gov. Minnesota's early voting begins next week--September 23rd.
Simon also is reminding people who may not be registered, that they can do so anytime including on Election Day, November 8.
To highlight the importance of updating and registering to vote, Governor Tim Walz proclaimed September Voter Registration Month in Minnesota.
Registration is especially important for those who live in mail-in ballot precincts. In the 2022 election, more than 150,000 Minnesotans live in areas that vote exclusively by mail, without a local polling place. Registered voters in these parts of the state will be mailed ballots starting September 23, which must be returned to elections offices by November 8.
In addition to registering to vote, Minnesotans can use MNVotes.gov to learn more about the races on the ballot and where they can vote. This year voters may notice the races they can vote in, and their polling places, have changed due to redistricting. In Minnesota, new maps of these district lines were produced by a panel of five judges and released to the public on February 15, 2022.