Vote!
The midterm election on November 3rd is coming up soon! Here is what you need to know to prepare to vote.
1. Register to vote.
There are different ways you can register to vote or update your registration if you’ve changed your address or name. Visit www.sos.mn.gov/elections-voting/register-to-vote to:
Register or update your registration online
Print a paper registration form to mail or drop off at your county or municipal election office
Review acceptable forms of proof of residence to register and vote on Election Day or at early voting locations before Election Day
If you have a driver’s license or other state issued ID and meet all other voter eligibility requirements, you will be automatically registered to vote. Check your registration status at mnvotes.sos.mn.gov/voterstatuscheck/index.
2. Your vote is secret and you can split your vote between candidates of different parties.
You don’t have to vote all GOP or all DFL. Depending on who you think the best candidate is for each race, it’s entirely your choice who to vote for.
Did you know that your ballot is secret? Your vote is tallied based on your district and precinct but is not tied to you, personally, in any way. You can identify as a member of the GOP party and still vote for DFL candidates if you prefer their platforms right now, and vice versa. Nobody will ever know, and you don’t have to tell anyone about your voting decisions.
3. Understand candidates’ platforms and decide your votes before you go.
A lot of seats up for election this midterm, in many different levels of government. We recommend taking time before you go vote to review the candidates and decide who you’ll vote for.
You can view a sample ballot for your voting precinct of what your ballot will look like here: myballotmn.sos.mn.gov/
Watch candidate debates. Most will be available to view online after they air. Please note: more debates may be scheduled after this article is written.
For local Minnesota House and Senate candidate debates, Lakeland PBS has partnered with The Bemidji Pioneer, The Brainerd Dispatch, Park Rapids Enterprise, and KAXE/KBXE Northern Community Radio. View the schedule at https://lptv.org/shows/debate-night/
Governor – Oct. 19 at 9AM on KSTP and Oct. 21 at 7PM on Fox 9
U.S. Senator – Oct. 16 at noon on MPR’s “Politics Friday”
MN Secretary of State – Oct. 18 at 10AM on KSTP, some debates already aired on MPR and WCCO Radio
State Auditor – Oct. 11 at 10AM on KSTP
Attorney General – Debates already aired on MPR, TPT’s “Almanac”, and KSTP
Review candidate’s websites and social media.
“Ballotpedia” is an encyclopedia of all U.S. political races and a helpful tool to find candidate websites and learn about their statements and platform. For Minnesota races, visit ballotpedia.org/Minnesota.
Many candidates have social media accounts you can follow to learn about their values.
4. What is the Minnesota Constitutional Amendment on the ballot?
Remember, a “YES” vote supports this amendment. If you do not vote on the amendment, it will be counted as a “NO” vote.
When Minnesota became a state, the federal government granted us land specifically to generate revenue for the Permanent School Fund through land sales, leases, and easements, timber and mineral rights, and other land management activities.
The amendment would increase the amount of money distributed to school districts and charter schools from 2.5% to 4.5% of the three-year average value of the fund. Since the amendment concerns how the existing fund will be used, individual income and property taxes will not be affected at all.
The amendment will also allow the distributions to come from the fund’s capital gains. Currently, distributions may come only from the fund’s interest and dividends, considered an outdated model among U.S. states.
Capital gains occur when an investment is sold for more than it was purchased at.
Dividends are generated by the school trust land’s profits, and the interest the fund earns.
5. There are different ways to cast your ballot
Visit www.sos.mn.gov/elections-voting/other-ways-to-vote/ for details on ways to vote.
Vote by mail
Request an absentee ballot online or via email, fax, or mail, to be mailed to you at your home or away address.
Some cities and towns vote by mail instead of operating a polling place on Election Day. Ballots are sent to every registered voter. Return your ballot by mail or drop it at the county election office before or on Election Day. In Cass County, that’s the Cass County Courthouse in Walker.
All absentee and mail ballots in Minnesota must be received by Election Day to be counted. If returning your ballot by mail, send it no later than October 26th.
Anytime between now and Election Day, instead of mailing your ballot, you can drop it off during normal and extended business hours at your county election office or other designated absentee-early voting locations.
Vote early in-person
You can also apply and cast an absentee ballot in-person starting 46 days before all state elections. What we now call “early voting” begins October 16, which means you can vote in-person at your county election office or other designated early voting locations by inserting your voted ballot directly into a ballot tabulator.
Election Day voting
If you vote on Election Day, you must vote in your designated polling place according to your precinct and district.
Find your polling place: pollfinder.sos.mn.gov/
References:
By Barbara Keinath (Longville), Cass County DFL Secretary
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