Early voting begins in Twin Cities local elections
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Election Day isn't until Nov. 4, but early voting is already underway in local races across the Twin Cities.
Why it matters: Voters in dozens of metro-area cities and school districts are choosing leaders and deciding whether to approve or renew tax increases.
Minneapolis is in the midst of a heated mayoral race, with incumbent Jacob Frey facing serious opponents, including state Sen. Omar Fateh, DeWayne Davis and Jazz Hampton.
- All 13 seats on the City Council are also up for grabs. The council's current leaders have butted heads with Frey.
St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter recently gained a prominent challenger in Rep. Kaohly Her as he, like Frey, seeks a third term.
- City voters are also deciding whether to update the city charter to give St. Paul officials the power to levy punitive fines.
Bloomington, Minnetonka and St. Louis Park are also holding municipal elections — and like Minneapolis and St. Paul, they choose representatives with ranked-choice voting.
- In these cities, it matters who your second- or third-favorite candidate is.
Plus: Nine other suburbs are also holding their general elections.
Woodbury-area voters and residents of several northwest exurbs are filling vacant state Senate seats that will determine whether Democrats retain their one-seat majority in that chamber.
State of the schools: Voters in the state's largest school district, Anoka-Hennepin, are electing school board members, as are those in 20 other local districts.
- St. Paul Public Schools headlines a list of 15 districts seeking taxpayer revenue to fund or build schools.
How to vote
🙋♀️ Who's eligible: U.S. citizens who have lived in Minnesota at least 20 days and will be 18 by Election Day.
- Minnesotans can register online or in-person, including when they arrive to vote. Those who are 16 or 17 can pre-register now, so they are ready to go when they turn 18.
📍 Where to vote: What's on a voter's ballot —and their Election Day polling place — is based on where they live.
- Make sure your registration is up to date and reflects your current address.
🎓 College students can use their campus address to vote as long as they consider Minnesota their home, even if they pay out-of-state tuition.
- Those who consider their family's dwelling their home can register and vote by mail there instead.
🗳️ What's new: Under the state's automatic voting law, Minnesotans who apply for driver's licenses or other state-issued IDs will be automatically registered as long as they meet the legal criteria to vote.
✉️ Early voting: All Minnesotans can cast an absentee vote in person or via mail as of Sept. 19, with no "excuse" necessary. Request a mail ballot or find an early-vote location via the secretary of state.
- You don't need a government ID to cast a ballot.