How to vote · 2026

Minnesota

Any voter can request a mail ballot

Registration, mail-ballot, and early-voting dates, with source notes and official election-office links. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

Deadlines move. Courts and legislatures were still changing 2026 rules as this page was compiled (last reviewed September 1, 2026). Confirm anything that affects your vote with the Minnesota election office ↗.

Dates and rules

Registration, mail ballots, and early voting

Registration deadlineOctober 13, 2026Advance registration (online, in person, or received by mail) by Oct. 13, 2026 (21 days before). Same-day registration with proof of residence during in-person absentee voting and on Election Day.

Mail-ballot request deadlineNovember 2, 2026

Mail ballots first sentSeptember 18, 2026Ballots start mailing Sept. 18. Apply before Oct. 20 to allow processing and delivery time, as recommended by Minnesota SOS. A late application can leave too little time to return the ballot by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Return ruleMust be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day

Early in-person votingSeptember 18, 2026Through November 2, 2026 · In-person absentee voting starts Sept. 18. Starting Oct. 16, early voting lets voters place their ballot directly into a ballot counter. Both options end Nov. 2; confirm local hours.

Official MN election site ↗Automated verification has not confirmed every listed date. Check the official election office for current deadlines and eligibility rules.Sources: [1] Minnesota SOS mail-voting calendar: ballots start Sept. 18; apply before Oct. 20 to allow delivery time.[2] Minnesota SOS distinguishes in-person absentee voting from Sept. 18 and ballot-counter early voting from Oct. 16; both end Nov. 2.[3] Minnesota SOS: absentee voting for the Nov. 3, 2026 general election begins Sept. 18, 2026 [4] USA.gov directory of official state election offices [5] Mail voting Sept. 18-Nov. 3, 2026; includes MN SOS correspondence (May 2026)[6] CEIR 2026 voter registration deadlines (June 25, 2026 dataset; per-mode deadlines and same-day registration windows)[7] NCSL Table 5: statutory absentee ballot application deadline [8] NCSL Table 11 (updated Dec. 2025): ballot receipt/postmark deadline

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The full table of mail-ballot send dates, registration deadlines, and early-voting windows for all fifty states and DC, plus the documented record of government actions on mail voting this cycle.

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