Minnesota’s 2026 absentee voting period begins on Friday, September 18, allowing voters to cast ballots by post or in person ahead of the state’s general election on Tuesday, November 3.
Ballots can be requested online through the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office, mailed to voters or completed at a local election office. Voters do not need to provide a reason for voting absentee.
Minnesota absentee voting dates and deadlines
Absentee ballots returned in person must reach the relevant election office by 5pm on Election Day. Ballots sent by post must be received by 8pm on November 3, rather than simply being posted by that time.
Some counties and municipalities also operate ballot drop boxes, including facilities available outside normal office hours. An absentee ballot cannot be handed in at a polling place on Election Day.
Voters completing a postal ballot must follow the instructions supplied with it and have the required witness or notary sign the ballot envelope. The completed ballot can then be returned by post or through an approved drop-off facility.
The Secretary of State’s office recommends that voters apply for a postal ballot by Tuesday, October 20, to allow time for it to be delivered and returned. Ballots can be tracked online once they have been sent back.
Early voting begins in October
Minnesota’s separate early-voting process starts on Friday, October 16. Unlike absentee voting in person, where the ballot is placed in an envelope for later processing, early-voting ballots are fed directly into a tabulator.
Early voting will continue until Monday, November 2. Election Day polling places will open on Tuesday, November 3, and remain open until 8pm.
Extended early-voting hours are scheduled for October 24, October 27, October 31, November 1 and November 2, although exact locations and opening times vary between counties.
Supreme Court blocks Trump administration mail rule
The start of absentee voting follows a legal dispute over new United States Postal Service requirements backed by the Trump administration.
The proposed rules would have required states to submit voter information to a federal postal system and use specially designed ballot envelopes. Postal officials could have refused to deliver ballots that did not meet the new requirements.
The US Supreme Court on September 14 left in place a lower-court injunction preventing the rules from being enforced during the 2026 midterm elections. The decision means Minnesota’s existing postal-voting arrangements can proceed for November’s election, while the wider legal challenge continues.
Minnesota was among the states that challenged the Postal Service plan. State officials had warned that introducing the requirements shortly before ballots were due to be mailed would create administrative difficulties for election offices and voters.
Registering to vote in Minnesota
Voters can register online in advance until Tuesday, October 13. The application requires personal details, an address and either a Minnesota driving-licence or identification-card number, or the final four digits of a Social Security number.
Minnesotans can also register at their polling place on Election Day. Those registering in person must show an approved form of identification and a document confirming their current address, or be vouched for by a registered voter from their precinct.
