Checking to see how this looks converted to text.
This year Election Day is Tuesday, 6 November. Below is information on a
variety of topics to help you, family members, friends, and neighbors have
all the information needed to vote on Tuesday. Sources include the
Minnesota Secretary of State and Ramsey County Elections.
Eligibility to Vote
You can vote in Ramsey County if on Election Day you:
will be at least 18 years old
are a citizen of the United States
are a Minnesota resident for 20 days immediately preceding
Election Day
are a resident of Ramsey County and the precinct in which you
wish to vote
are not under court-ordered guardianship in which the court
revokes your right to vote
are not found by a court to be legally incompetent to vote
have the right to vote because, if you have been convicted of a
felony, your felony sentence has expired (been completed) or you have been
discharged from your sentence
Whats on the Ballot?
Elections for different offices and ballot issues vary by year. See Find
Your Polling Place and Sample Ballot to print out a sample showing exactly
what will be on your ballot. This year the following will be on the ballot
in Saint Paul (which is in Ramsey County):
Federal
President and Vice President: 4-year term
U.S. Senate: Minnesota has 2 US Senators, Amy Klobuchar and Al
Franken, both serving the entire state; they serve 6-year terms; one of our
two Senate seats is on the ballot this year; the other will be on the
ballot in 2014
U.S. House: Minnesota has 8 members of the US Representatives,
each serving a different region of the state; they serve 2-year terms
State
Minnesota Senate: Although Minnesota senators typically serve
four-year terms, they are elected to a two-year term during the first
election of the decade. This allows for legislative elections to fall
shortly after redistricting is completed. Since Minnesota Senate terms are
not staggered, all 67 will be on the ballot.
Minnesota House: All 134 members of the Minnesota House are up
for election this year; they serve 2-year terms.
Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice and two Associate Justices:
all contested
Minnesota State Court of Appeals: 2 seats, neither contested
Second Judicial District Court judges: 12 seats, none contested
Two proposed amendments to the Minnesota Constitution: one on the
definition of marriage and one on voter identification
Conservation district supervisors for two districts
In St Paul, a referendum for St. Paul Public Schools; this is on
the back of the ballot, so make sure to turn it over
Where to Vote
Your polling place is located near your home. To find your polling place,
Find Your Polling Place and Sample Ballot.
Register to Vote
Before you can vote, you must register. You may register before Election
Day, or on Election Day at your polling place. Your registration remains
current until you move, change your name, or do not vote for four
consecutive years. More Voter Registration Information.
At the bottom of this post is a link to the voter registration form. Save
yourself time at your polling place by completing this in advance; if you
have additional questions you can ask at your polling place.
Assistance or Accessibility
If you need assistance with voting, you can ask the election
judges at the polling place. You can also ask a relative, friend, or
neighbor to help you.
All polling places in Ramsey County are fully accessible to
elderly and disabled voters, with clearly marked accessible doors and
parking spaces. Each polling place will be equipped with an accessible
voting device for use by persons with disabilities.
If you can't easily leave your car, you can ask for the ballot to
be brought out to you in your car.
If you are confined due to illness or disability, you can vote by
absentee ballot.
If you have limited vision, we can provide you with voter
registration and absentee ballot instructions in large print, on cassette
tape, in Braille, or by TDD.
Problems at the polls
If you see or experience anything that concerns or frightens you at your
polling place, Ramsey County Elections Manager Joe Mansky advises you to
immediately let the head judge at the polling place know about any problems
that are occurring. If this is not having the desired effect, you can then
contact the Elections Office at 651-266-2171 or at <email obscured>.
Please provide as much detail as possible to either the head judges or
Ramsey County staff.
Campaign literature on Election Day
According to Ramsey County Elections Manager Joe Mansky, it is legal to
provide voters with campaign materials on election day and voters may use
these materials in the polling place to help them vote. However, these
materials may not be distributed or displayed in the polling place, nor can
they be distributed within 100 feet of the building in which a polling
place is located and if its a public building, the distribution of these
materials cannot take place on the public property on which the building is
located. (See Minn. Stat. 211B.11, subd 1.)
Voting for Those With Special Circumstances
Voting for Students
Voting When You Are in the Hospital
Voting for People Living in Residential Facilities
Voting When Civil Rights Are Restored
Voting When Your Home Is in Foreclosure
Voting When You Are Homeless
Voting for People Under Guardianship
Voting Instructions for Those Who Fear for Their Safety
Assistance with Voting
Voting When You Are Homeless
Voters must include their current residence on their voter registration
application. Residence is considered to be the place where you sleep, so if
you sleep in a shelter, at a friend's residence, or under a bridge, this is
your residence. If your residence is a place where the post office will not
deliver mail to you, then you should include your mailing address on the
registration form, if you have one.
If you pre-register and do not have a mailing address, then your record
will be flagged as "challenged" and you will have to answer some questions
before being allowed to vote. You will be challenged because the county
would not have been able to verify your address prior to the election. The
election judge will ask you about where you live and you will have to swear
that you are eligible to vote before you will be given a ballot.
Homeless individuals who have not pre-registered to vote often have
difficulty providing proper proof of residence, as is required to complete
Election Day registration. As such, the law makes special accommodations
for those who are staying at homeless shelters. In this case, employees of
the shelter are allowed to "vouch" for the homeless individual, meaning
that the employee signs a sworn statement that they personally know that
the homeless individual resides at the shelter.
Voting When Civil Rights Are Restored (persons with a felony conviction)
In Minnesota, you cannot vote while serving a sentence as a result of a
felony conviction. However, once the full sentence is completed including
parole and probation commonly called "off paper," the right to vote is
automatically restored.
If you reside in Minnesota and are "off paper," you can vote.
This is true even if your felony conviction was in another state.
Do not register to vote before you have completed your sentence,
even if you will be "off paper" by Election Day. It is a felony to register
if your rights have not been restored.
In Minnesota you can register to vote on Election Day if you have
not pre-registered.
Even if you are "off paper," the county elections office may not
have been notified that your civil rights have been restored. In this case,
there may be a note on the list of voters at the polling place directing
the election judge to challenge your eligibility to vote. If so, explain
that you have completed your sentence and your civil rights have been
restored. The election judge may require you to swear an oath that your
rights have been restored, before allowing you to vote.
Read more about voter registration on our Registering to Vote page.
Download the fact sheet When Civil Rights Are Restored (pdf)
Can I vote if I am in Foreclosure?
You cannot be denied the right to vote due to the fact that you are in a
mortgage foreclosure process. Ramsey County residents who are involved in a
foreclosure proceeding can still vote. Just because a home is in
foreclosure it does not mean that the owner no longer lives there. The
owner still has rights to the property for a period of time during
foreclosure and may continue to live in the home for at least six months
after the sheriffs sale. As long as you are living in your house, you can
claim it as your residence, even if it is in foreclosure.
State law requires that anyone challenging an owners eligibility to vote
must have personal knowledge that the individual is not eligible to vote
that he or she does not live in the precinct and has vacated the residence
(through either a voluntary move or eviction proceeding) and does not
intend to return.
An owner who has vacated the property in foreclosure with no intention of
returning cannot vote from that address. Instead, that person must vote in
the precinct of current residence, whether it is the home of a friend or
relative, a homeless shelter, etc., as long the person has resided in
Minnesota for 20 days.
For more information, go to the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State
or call 1-877-600-VOTE (8683).
Absentee Voting
Absentee Ballot Applications
You can vote by absentee ballot if you are unable to vote in person on
Election Day because you are:
away from your precinct on Election Day
have an illness or disability that prevents you from voting at
your polling place
unable to vote on Election Day due to religious observance
serving as an election judge in a precinct other than your own
under an eligible emergency declared by the governor or
quarantine declared by the federal or state government
All absentee ballots must arrive at Ramsey County Elections no later than
3:00pm on Election Day.
This year Election Day is Tuesday, 6 November. Below is information on a
variety of topics to help you, family members, friends, and neighbors have
all the information needed to vote on Tuesday. Sources include the
Minnesota Secretary of State and Ramsey County Elections.
Eligibility to Vote
You can vote in Ramsey County if on Election Day you:
will be at least 18 years old
are a citizen of the United States
are a Minnesota resident for 20 days immediately preceding
Election Day
are a resident of Ramsey County and the precinct in which you
wish to vote
are not under court-ordered guardianship in which the court
revokes your right to vote
are not found by a court to be legally incompetent to vote
have the right to vote because, if you have been convicted of a
felony, your felony sentence has expired (been completed) or you have been
discharged from your sentence
Whats on the Ballot?
Elections for different offices and ballot issues vary by year. See Find
Your Polling Place and Sample Ballot to print out a sample showing exactly
what will be on your ballot. This year the following will be on the ballot
in Saint Paul (which is in Ramsey County):
Federal
President and Vice President: 4-year term
U.S. Senate: Minnesota has 2 US Senators, Amy Klobuchar and Al
Franken, both serving the entire state; they serve 6-year terms; one of our
two Senate seats is on the ballot this year; the other will be on the
ballot in 2014
U.S. House: Minnesota has 8 members of the US Representatives,
each serving a different region of the state; they serve 2-year terms
State
Minnesota Senate: Although Minnesota senators typically serve
four-year terms, they are elected to a two-year term during the first
election of the decade. This allows for legislative elections to fall
shortly after redistricting is completed. Since Minnesota Senate terms are
not staggered, all 67 will be on the ballot.
Minnesota House: All 134 members of the Minnesota House are up
for election this year; they serve 2-year terms.
Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice and two Associate Justices:
all contested
Minnesota State Court of Appeals: 2 seats, neither contested
Second Judicial District Court judges: 12 seats, none contested
Two proposed amendments to the Minnesota Constitution: one on the
definition of marriage and one on voter identification
Conservation district supervisors for two districts
In St Paul, a referendum for St. Paul Public Schools; this is on
the back of the ballot, so make sure to turn it over
Where to Vote
Your polling place is located near your home. To find your polling place,
Find Your Polling Place and Sample Ballot.
Register to Vote
Before you can vote, you must register. You may register before Election
Day, or on Election Day at your polling place. Your registration remains
current until you move, change your name, or do not vote for four
consecutive years. More Voter Registration Information.
At the bottom of this post is a link to the voter registration form. Save
yourself time at your polling place by completing this in advance; if you
have additional questions you can ask at your polling place.
Assistance or Accessibility
If you need assistance with voting, you can ask the election
judges at the polling place. You can also ask a relative, friend, or
neighbor to help you.
All polling places in Ramsey County are fully accessible to
elderly and disabled voters, with clearly marked accessible doors and
parking spaces. Each polling place will be equipped with an accessible
voting device for use by persons with disabilities.
If you can't easily leave your car, you can ask for the ballot to
be brought out to you in your car.
If you are confined due to illness or disability, you can vote by
absentee ballot.
If you have limited vision, we can provide you with voter
registration and absentee ballot instructions in large print, on cassette
tape, in Braille, or by TDD.
Problems at the polls
If you see or experience anything that concerns or frightens you at your
polling place, Ramsey County Elections Manager Joe Mansky advises you to
immediately let the head judge at the polling place know about any problems
that are occurring. If this is not having the desired effect, you can then
contact the Elections Office at 651-266-2171 or at <email obscured>.
Please provide as much detail as possible to either the head judges or
Ramsey County staff.
Campaign literature on Election Day
According to Ramsey County Elections Manager Joe Mansky, it is legal to
provide voters with campaign materials on election day and voters may use
these materials in the polling place to help them vote. However, these
materials may not be distributed or displayed in the polling place, nor can
they be distributed within 100 feet of the building in which a polling
place is located and if its a public building, the distribution of these
materials cannot take place on the public property on which the building is
located. (See Minn. Stat. 211B.11, subd 1.)
Voting for Those With Special Circumstances
Voting for Students
Voting When You Are in the Hospital
Voting for People Living in Residential Facilities
Voting When Civil Rights Are Restored
Voting When Your Home Is in Foreclosure
Voting When You Are Homeless
Voting for People Under Guardianship
Voting Instructions for Those Who Fear for Their Safety
Assistance with Voting
Voting When You Are Homeless
Voters must include their current residence on their voter registration
application. Residence is considered to be the place where you sleep, so if
you sleep in a shelter, at a friend's residence, or under a bridge, this is
your residence. If your residence is a place where the post office will not
deliver mail to you, then you should include your mailing address on the
registration form, if you have one.
If you pre-register and do not have a mailing address, then your record
will be flagged as "challenged" and you will have to answer some questions
before being allowed to vote. You will be challenged because the county
would not have been able to verify your address prior to the election. The
election judge will ask you about where you live and you will have to swear
that you are eligible to vote before you will be given a ballot.
Homeless individuals who have not pre-registered to vote often have
difficulty providing proper proof of residence, as is required to complete
Election Day registration. As such, the law makes special accommodations
for those who are staying at homeless shelters. In this case, employees of
the shelter are allowed to "vouch" for the homeless individual, meaning
that the employee signs a sworn statement that they personally know that
the homeless individual resides at the shelter.
Voting When Civil Rights Are Restored (persons with a felony conviction)
In Minnesota, you cannot vote while serving a sentence as a result of a
felony conviction. However, once the full sentence is completed including
parole and probation commonly called "off paper," the right to vote is
automatically restored.
If you reside in Minnesota and are "off paper," you can vote.
This is true even if your felony conviction was in another state.
Do not register to vote before you have completed your sentence,
even if you will be "off paper" by Election Day. It is a felony to register
if your rights have not been restored.
In Minnesota you can register to vote on Election Day if you have
not pre-registered.
Even if you are "off paper," the county elections office may not
have been notified that your civil rights have been restored. In this case,
there may be a note on the list of voters at the polling place directing
the election judge to challenge your eligibility to vote. If so, explain
that you have completed your sentence and your civil rights have been
restored. The election judge may require you to swear an oath that your
rights have been restored, before allowing you to vote.
Read more about voter registration on our Registering to Vote page.
Download the fact sheet When Civil Rights Are Restored (pdf)
Can I vote if I am in Foreclosure?
You cannot be denied the right to vote due to the fact that you are in a
mortgage foreclosure process. Ramsey County residents who are involved in a
foreclosure proceeding can still vote. Just because a home is in
foreclosure it does not mean that the owner no longer lives there. The
owner still has rights to the property for a period of time during
foreclosure and may continue to live in the home for at least six months
after the sheriffs sale. As long as you are living in your house, you can
claim it as your residence, even if it is in foreclosure.
State law requires that anyone challenging an owners eligibility to vote
must have personal knowledge that the individual is not eligible to vote
that he or she does not live in the precinct and has vacated the residence
(through either a voluntary move or eviction proceeding) and does not
intend to return.
An owner who has vacated the property in foreclosure with no intention of
returning cannot vote from that address. Instead, that person must vote in
the precinct of current residence, whether it is the home of a friend or
relative, a homeless shelter, etc., as long the person has resided in
Minnesota for 20 days.
For more information, go to the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State
or call 1-877-600-VOTE (8683).
Absentee Voting
Absentee Ballot Applications
You can vote by absentee ballot if you are unable to vote in person on
Election Day because you are:
away from your precinct on Election Day
have an illness or disability that prevents you from voting at
your polling place
unable to vote on Election Day due to religious observance
serving as an election judge in a precinct other than your own
under an eligible emergency declared by the governor or
quarantine declared by the federal or state government
All absentee ballots must arrive at Ramsey County Elections no later than
3:00pm on Election Day.
