In the weeks and months leading up to the General Election, there have been numerous court battles and legal challenges that govern how Minnesotans do their civic duty at the ballot box.
But now as absentee voting has begun, voters are being reassured that nothing substantial has actually changed.
That means that you can vote like you always have, whether its by mail, at an early voting center, or by going to your precinct on Election Day on Nov 3.
“Our current way of voting, and doing absentee voting in particular, remains absolutely as it has been,” said Ramsey County Commissioner Garrison McMurtrey. “The way that we have been used to voting in the state stands today; there will be no changes ahead of the election this November.”
Right now, Minnesotans have options in how they can make their voices heard. Every voter can vote absentee before Election Day, and no voter is required to give a reason for making the choice to cast an absentee ballot.
Voters can request an absentee ballot and vote by mail OR return their ballot in person. Early voting locations are open for in-person absentee voting.Voters can register when they vote when they show proof of residence; there are numerous ways to do that.
In the wake of Operation Metro Surge, which brought thousands of federal ICE agents to the Twin Cities, there have been reports that federal agents will be present at polling places.
McMurtrey said that there were a few such agents at polling places for the Primary Election, and that made voters “rightly hesitant,” in his words.
“We had monitors for the monitors. Wherever they were, we were watching to make sure they adhered to the law and had to be at least 100 feet away from polling locations,” he said.
“It would not surprise me if we saw something similar during the General. As a state, we are taking proper steps and working collaboratively to make sure that no one goes against what the law says. We are working in collaboration with our cities to make sure voters feel they can have safe access to the buildings.”
This year, Minnesota will make history by electing its first woman governor; both of the major candidates running as the state’s chief executive are female, as are the two leading candidates running for US Senate.
In addition to these high profile races, Minnesotans will get to choose from a number of down ballot races, for Congress, state constitutional offices, state representatives and senators, plus, in some areas, county commissioners, judges, mayors, city council and school board members. There is also a statewide referendum to increase funding for education.
To learn more about these candidates, voters can do their due diligence at the Secretary of State’s nonpartisan website: mnvotes.gov.
Every voter can preview the ballot that will await them; in some cases, the sample ballot even allows voters to click to the candidate’s website where they can read more on their positions and what they stand for.
“If you look at the role of a school board member impacting the curriculum for our students, that’s crucial. If you look for the county commissioners, the work we do around administering programs and resources, these things impact your every day lives,” McMurtrey said.
“I can’t stress enough the importance of educating yourself on these elected positions.”
