What happens after you return your absentee ballot? Read below to learn about the process of accepting and counting absentee ballots. You can also check your ballot status online.
What happens after my absentee ballot is returned?
After your absentee ballot is received at the elections office, the signature envelope is reviewed by an absentee ballot board. This board checks that the signature envelope was filled out correctly by the voter and their witness. Each envelope is reviewed by at least two members of the board.
How does the ballot board decide if a ballot is accepted?
They look at these things on the signature envelope:
The board will also:
What happens after my absentee ballot is accepted?
Accepted ballots are set aside in a secure area, separated by precinct. Starting 18 days before the election, the signature envelopes are opened and the ballot envelopes are removed and set aside so that no one knows whose ballot is whose. Once the ballot envelopes are separated, they are opened, reviewed by ballot board members, duplicated if necessary, and inserted in the ballot counter. Ballots need to be duplicated if a ballot is not readable by the ballot counter, for example if a ballot is damaged or on the incorrect ballot style for that precinct.
When are ballots counted?
Absentee ballots may be inserted into ballot counters starting 18 days before election day. However, no totals are produced until polling places close at 8 p.m. on election night.
What happens if my absentee ballot is rejected?
If your ballot is rejected more than five days before the election, you will be mailed a replacement ballot along with an explanation of why your ballot was rejected. If your ballot is rejected within five days of the election, election officials will attempt to contact you to let you know.
How do election officials make sure people can’t vote twice?
All absentee ballots are tracked individually and linked to a voter in Minnesota’s voter registration database. Once a ballot is accepted, if that voter tries to vote again, the election official or election judge will see that the voter has an accepted ballot. Voter rosters in the polling place are even updated throughout election day as more absentee ballots are accepted.
More details about the absentee ballot process can be found in the Absentee Voting Administration Guide. Some counties have also produced information about their specific processes—for example Anoka County made an Absentee Ballot Behind-the-Scenes video.