Who can vote?

Who can register and vote in Minnesota?

To vote you must be:

• A U.S. citizen
• At least 18 years old on Election Day
• A resident of Minnesota for 20 days
• Not currently incarcerated for a felony conviction
• Not under a court order that revokes your right to vote

Click a link above or scroll down for details about eligibility.

U.S. Citizen

Only citizens of the United States are eligible to vote in elections in Minnesota. 

• This includes local elections such as city, town or school district elections.
• Green card holders are not eligible.
• If you are gaining citizenship soon, wait until after your naturalization ceremony to register.

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Voting Age

You need to be at least 18 years old on Election Day to vote in Minnesota.  

However, you can pre-register earlier if you are 16 or 17 years old. If you do pre-register, election officials will process your application so it will automatically register you on your 18th birthday.

As long as you turn 18 on or before the day of an election, you are eligible to vote in that election. That includes voting early or by absentee ballot. 

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Minnesota Residency

You must be a Minnesota resident for 20 days to be eligible to vote in Minnesota. Note that you can be temporarily away from your residence.

What is my residence has more details about this topic, and how it applies for college students, those living in nursing homes and residential facilities, or people without a home.

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Felony Incarceration

Your criminal record does not affect your right to vote in Minnesota unless you are currently incarcerated for a felony conviction.

This means you can vote if:

• you were charged with or convicted of a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor.
• you are in jail, but are not currently serving a felony sentence.
• you have been charged with a felony, but you haven’t been convicted.
• you have been given a stay of adjudication.
• you have been convicted of a felony, but are not incarcerated.
• you are on work release, even if you return to a jail facility at night.

You cannot vote if:

• you are currently incarcerated serving a felony sentence.

Download the Voting with a Criminal Record factsheet

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Court Restrictions

As long as a judge did not restrict your right to vote through court order, you have the right to vote when:

• you are under guardianship
• you are under conservatorship
• you gave someone power of attorney
• you have a brain injury
• you have a developmental disability
• you have a cognitive impairment
• you experience memory loss

No one else can make this decision on your behalf, including a spouse, children, attorneys, caregivers, doctors or nurses.

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