Early Voting: How to Register for an Absentee Ballot in Minnesota
Early voting in Minnesota begins on Friday.
Last year, the state removed all restrictions on who can apply for an absentee ballot.
This will be the first year all Minnesotans have the option of voting absentee in a Presidential race.
Life happens and there are plenty of things that could prevent a person from being able to make it to the polls on Election Day.
It’s not like early voting is a new thing, but in the past, you were required to provide a reason for why you couldn’t make it to a polling place on Election Day.
Applying for an absentee ballot has never been easier in the state of Minnesota.
All you have to do is go to MNvotes.org and you can fill out your application online.
“It will be mailed to them and then they’ll have until Election Day to vote absentee to get it in by Election Day. All they have to do is get a witness to sign it, seal it, put it in an envelope and send it in and that’s your vote,” says Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon.
Basically, you can now vote without having to leave your home.
And after talking to a few Minnesotans, it seems like there’s decent support for this new way of voting.
“It’s very convenient for the voters because they can mail their ballots in anytime they get them,” says Barnesville local Ron Butenhoff.
Simon says he hopes the easier voting methods will help get Minnesota back to number one in voter turnout.
“After being at the top of the heap for so long and falling down just a little bit, we want to get back there and part of getting back there means focusing on these new easier ways to register and new and easier ways to vote,” Simon says.
And Minnesota local Carolyn Defries agrees.
“People are so busy these days that you know if they have that option to do it on their time schedule I think it may increase the voting turn out and I think it’s a good thing. Where ever we can help with that, that’s great.”
Simon also says it’s too early to get an idea of how many people are going to register for absentee voting but he’s confident that the turnout rate will see a bump.
