Absentee and early voting

Apply, receive, and return a ballot by mail.

Application is required in Minnesota.

Application process

Apply online

• If you can’t apply online, print and complete an absentee ballot application (PDF, 1MB).
• 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.

Track your ballot

Confirm your ballot was received and counted on the state’s ballot tracker. 

Return deadline

Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. election day.

Return by mail

Mail your ballot back in the pre-paid, pre-addressed envelope you received.

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.

Return voted ballots in person to either Hennepin County Elections, or your local elections office.

Accessible voting

If needed, we can provide an accessible ballot.

You can register when you vote early if you show proof of residence.

On Election Day, you must vote at your polling place.  

Government Center (skyway level)

In-person absentee voting begins at Government Center (skyway level) 46 days before Election Day.

Ballot drop-off and agent delivery are available at Government Center (skyway level) until 8 p.m. on 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.

Get help voting

Voter assistance State of Minnesota (PDF)

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.

Apply online

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 federal elections, 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.

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. 

1. 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

2. Complete the following:

• Request for agent delivery of absentee ballot form (PDF, 1MB)
• Absentee ballot application (PDF, 1MB)

3. Have your agent bring the completed forms to your local elections office.

4. Your agent will be given your ballot to bring to you.

5. Vote your ballot.

6. 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.

You can automatically receive an absentee ballot before every election you are eligible to vote.

Enroll

Check yes under the Permanent Absentee Voter section on your voter registration application.

Cancel enrollment

Send us a written notice to stop getting your permanent absentee ballot.

Organizations send out mailings to increase voter participation.

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.

Only accepted absentee ballots are counted.

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

1. Count the unopened envelopes.
2. Compare the count to the voter database to ensure every accepted ballot is counted.
3. 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.
4. Remove ballots from the secrecy envelope and run them through a ballot counter.
5. Counted ballots are sealed and stored in a secure area with the rest of absentee materials. As required by statute and rules.
6. Results can’t be accessed or released before the polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day.
7. After the polls close, the results from each polling place are transmitted to us.
8. Absentee votes are combined with results from the polling place and then released.