Common registration questions

How do I fix a typo in my registration?

Contact your county election office.

How do I get a copy of my voter registration card or proof of registration?

Minnesota does not issue voter registration cards. If you need proof of voter registration you can contact your county election office.

How do I change my party registration?

Voters do not declare a party when they register to vote in Minnesota, so there is nothing to change! Minnesota has an "open primary" so voters choose which party's primary to participate in when they vote their ballot.

In most cases no one will know which party's primary you voted in. However, for the Presidential Primary, the major party chair will get a list of voters who chose their party's ballot.

How do I cancel my registration?

Complete the Request to Inactivate Voter Record, and send it to your county election office.

How do I let someone know a voter has died?

Minnesota election officials get death reports daily from the Minnesota Department of Health and Social Security Administration, so voters that die will be removed from the registration rolls through that process. If you would like to notify election officials separately, you can send the Report of Deceased Voter form to the county election official.

What voter data is public and private?

A registered voter's name, address, year of birth, and phone number (if given by the voter) is public data. Which elections someone voted in is also public, but how a voter marked their individual ballot is never recorded--ballots are always secret.

Although the data above is public, it is not available to anyone who asks for any purpose--it is restricted to certain people for specific uses. The registered voter list webpage has details about these restrictions as well as ordering information. 

Read the privacy notice for voter registration applications to learn what data is kept private and why private data is collected, or the following question if you have concerns about your privacy.

What if I have safety or privacy concerns?

Your name and address are public when you register to vote. However, if you have safety or privacy concerns, there are ways to register and vote without making your information public:

1. Safe at Home address confidentiality program
2. Request your address be withheld from the public voter list
3. Inactivate your voter record and reregister later

More details about these three options are on the I fear for my personal safety webpage.

How do I register close to Election Day?

Unlike many states, you can wait until Election Day to register in Minnesota. However, we encourage you to register before Election Day—it will save you time at the polling place.

• The deadline to register online is 11:59 p.m. 21 days before Election Day.
• The deadline to register on paper is 5 p.m. 21 days before Election Day.
• Within 20 days before the election, you can submit a registration form but it will not be processed until after Election Day.
• You can always register when you vote, either at a polling place, or when voting absentee.

How do I vote if I'm moving close to Election Day?

If you moved to Minnesota later than 21 days before an election, you will not have time to establish residence in Minnesota for voting. If you are moving within Minnesota before an election, you will want to register and vote at the address you will be living at on Election Day.

If you're moving from Minnesota, you will need to consult the voting laws of the state you are moving to. If you move from Minnesota within 30 days before a presidential election to a state you are not eligible to register in, you can apply to vote for U.S. president in Minnesota.

Other questions? Contact your county election office or call the Secretary of State at 1-877-600-VOTE (8683).