In a move to encourage and facilitate voter participation, the main Early Vote Center situated at 980 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis has decided to extend its voting hours as the city gears up for Election Day. The extension comes with less than three weeks left before voters hit the polls. Minneapolis' Elections & Voter Services is not only extending hours but also adding two more early voting sites to cater to the city's electorate.
Starting October 22, Urban League at 2100 Plymouth Ave. N., and Bethel Lutheran Church at 4120 17th Ave. S., will open their doors for early voting. As mentioned in an announcement released by the city of Minneapolis, anyone eligible to vote in Minneapolis on Election Day can utilize these sites to cast their vote early, regardless of their residential precinct within the city.
Minneapolis residents have the added benefit of eleven pop-up early voting locations spread across the city which will be operational for one day each between October 22 and November 1. These pop-up locations, geared towards making the voting process as accessible as possible, can be found with their respective dates and times on the City's website.
For those preferring not to vote in person, there's the option to vote by mail. Voters can apply to vote by mail via the City’s website, where it's also possible to track the status of their mailed ballot. The city recommends applying for a mail-in ballot no later than October 29; however, voters can drop off their ballots at any early voting site during operational hours until Election Day. Completed ballots must be received by 8:00 p.m. on November 5 to count. They may also be dropped off at Election & Voter Services, 980 E. Hennepin Ave. However, ballots cannot be returned at polling places on Election Day itself.
With November 5 approaching those planning to cast their vote on Election Day are encouraged to check their polling place location on the State website and verify their registration status through the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website. Voters can also familiarize themselves with the ballots by looking at sample ballots on the City website, which they can then bring with them when they go to vote, ensuring a smoother process at the polling booth.
