Election security measures
Minnesota's elections are nationally recognized for being free, secure, and accurate. Elections are administered by county and city election officials. We are guided by state laws that regulate the procedures that need to happen before, during and after election day. Our laws provide detailed processes around creating, distributing and storing ballots; purchasing, testing, and securing election equipment; recruiting and hiring election workers; registering voters; and more.
For more information on procedures that happen before, on and after election day, see the resources from the Secretary of State’s office.
Minnesota election facts
Elections are highly regulated by state and federal law and administered by local election officials. It can be hard to figure out what is real and what is not. Some of the most common questions we hear about elections administration are below.
Minnesota uses paper ballots for all elections.
In Minnesota, all ballots are cast on paper. If someone is unable to mark their ballot with a pen, they are able to use a ballot-marking device at their polling place or request assistance from an election worker. Ballots are stored and secured before, during and after each election. By law, voted ballots are required to be retained for 22 months after each election.
Election equipment - including ballot tabulators - are tested, verified for accuracy, and certified.
Election equipment, like ballot-marking devices and ballot tabulators, are certified at the federal and state levels to ensure accuracy and security. Before being certified for use in Minnesota, all voting equipment must be tested and certified by test labs accredited by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and undergo detailed additional testing by the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State.
Before every election, officials at the county and the city are required by law to test all equipment to be used in that election. For preliminary testing, a set of pre-marked test ballots is fed into each ballot tabulator and the machine's totals are compared with the pre-determined results. The purpose of preliminary testing is to verify that the ballot tabulators will accurately count votes for each candidate or question on the ballot, identify and notify a voter of ballot marking errors such as voting for more candidates than allowed in a contest, will recognize and accept a ballot with no votes or markings (completely blank) and will not count or accept damaged ballots.
A public accuracy test is also held prior to each election at which the public can attend and watch equipment tests performed by election officials. Learn more about voting equipment.
Every ballot cast is associated with a registered, eligible voter.
When someone registers to vote in Minnesota, they must prove that they are who they say they are and that they live where they say they live. State law provides many ways a voter can prove this information. All voter registrations are verified by state and/or county election officials with records from numerous data sources including the Department of Public Safety (driver's licenses and state IDs), the Social Security Administration, Department of Health and court records. This information is tracked and maintained in an online database, the Statewide Voter Registration System. The city uses the information in this system to administer elections.
Before any ballot goes to a voter - whether by mail or in person - election officials must verify that the voter is eligible and the voter must swear an oath that they are eligible to vote and acknowledge that it is a felony to falsify information on their absentee ballot application or voter registration.
Election officials track ballots to ensure each voter only casts one.
Only U.S. Citizens can vote in Minnesota elections.
Only citizens of the United States are eligible to vote in elections in Minnesota.
- This includes local elections such as city, town or school district elections.
- Green card holders are not eligible.
- If you are gaining citizenship soon, wait until after your naturalization ceremony to register.
To vote you must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old on Election Day, a resident of Minnesota for at least 20 days, not currently incarcerated for a felony conviction, and not under a court order that revokes your right to vote.
Only eligible citizens are registered to vote by Automatic Voter Registration.
Automatic voter registration began in April 2024. Under this law, Minnesotans are registered to vote, or their voter registration is updated, without having to proactively check a box when applying for or renewing a driver’s license or state ID.
The Department of Public Safety reviews citizenship-affirming documentation and ensure the potential voter meets all other eligibility requirements to register in Minnesota before sending their information to the Office of the Secretary of State. Examples of citizenship affirming documentation include birth certificates, passports, and certificates of naturalization.
Minnesotans automatically registered will be able to opt out of registering to vote within 20 days of their registration being processed. A mailing will be sent to each prospective voter indicating how they can opt out.
Eligible voters may receive an absentee ballot application without requesting one.
Many organizations send potential voters absentee ballot applications during voting season. Minnesotans can only receive an absentee ballot once they complete and return the application to their local election office and their eligibility is confirmed. Eligible voters can only receive one absentee ballot. If a voter requests that their absentee ballot be spoiled and re-issued, the original ballot is inactivated and cannot be counted.
Elections information from outside organizations or sources.
You may receive mail or other items about elections from outside sources. As your official elections office in St. Louis Park, material produced by the city will always contain our “Experience VOTING in the Park” logo. The city cannot control who may be sending you information, but we encourage you to be diligent and to verify information that is being sent to you through a trusted source. If you have any questions about an item or contact you received, please contact our elections office.
