By LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS MINNEAPOLIS
This is the second article in the League of Women Voters Minneapolis 2024 Democracy Series. All articles will be available at lwvmpls.org/for-voters
As Minnesotans, we understand that exercising our right to vote is fundamental to a healthy democracy. In the 2020 National election, MN was #1 in voter turnout, with just under 80% of eligible voters casting their ballots.
Minnesota implements best practices for increasing voter turnout through Accessibility, Security, and Accuracy.
Accessibility
Minnesota has historically made it easy to register. In 1974, we became the second state in the nation to allow same-day registration (Star Tribune, October 14, 2022). You can register to vote online with your mobile phone or computer at mnvotes.sos.mn.gov/VoterRegistration/index.
The League of Women Voters (LWV) also sponsors events where you can register with a paper application. Paper applications can be printed from sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/register-to-vote/register-on-paper. You can also call 311 to request one by mail.
Minnesota has recently passed legislation to make registration even easier with Automatic Voter Registration (AVR). You can register to vote when you apply for or renew your driver’s license or when you interact with other state agencies like MNCare.
Additionally, security is always part of voter registration. To register online, you must provide your address, driver’s license number, State ID card number, or the last four digits of your social security number. This information is sent to election officials to validate your registration and either create a new voter record or update your existing registration. If you do not have these identification numbers, you can still register to vote using the paper form.
Minnesota has a high voter turnout because it is easy for citizens to vote. You can vote by applying for and then mailing an absentee ballot. As of June 1, 2024, you can also apply for a permanent absentee ballot, eliminating the need to reapply for one each election cycle.
Election day is not just one Tuesday in November but extends over 46 days. For the 2024 general election, you can vote by completing your absentee ballot in-person at your local election office between Friday, September 20, and Monday, November 4. The process of counting absentee ballots begins 18 days before the election. No ballot is counted until the members of the Absentee Ballot Board have verified it.
Each ballot is given a unique barcode and is entered into the state’s voter registration system. You can track the status of your absentee ballot at mnvotes.sos.mn.gov/abstatus/index.
If you need assistance voting, you can work with an election judge or bring someone to the polls. The polls have a machine that can mark your ballot, and election officials also offer curbside voting in your vehicle. If you make a mistake, no worries. Just return the spoiled ballot to the election judge, and they will give you a new one. For more information on different ways to vote, go to sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/ and click “Other ways to vote.”
Security
What happens to your ballot after you vote? If you vote with an absentee ballot, it is processed by the state’s Absentee Ballot Board. These ballots are kept in secured storage until 18 days before the election. Then they are opened, reviewed, and processed in the same counting machines used for in-person ballots on election day.
After ballots are counted, they are placed in ballot transfer cases and sealed with two certification seals. Two election judges do all of this and sign forms throughout the process. The sealed ballot boxes are transferred to and stored at Hennepin County Elections for 22 months.
Accuracy
How can you be confident that your vote will be counted?
Paper ballots are critical to ballot security in Minnesota. They record everyone’s vote and verify the accuracy of ballot-counting machines. Additionally, research from the Bipartisan Policy Center shows that counting machines are more accurate and faster than hand counting. (bipartisanpolicy.org/explainer/how-ballot-tabulators-improve-elections)
The machines used in Minnesota are regularly tested for accuracy before and after elections with help from the U. S. Election Assistance Commission, the Secretary of State, and local officials. The public is always invited to watch the testing conducted by local election officials.
After the election, counties also randomly select precincts where they will audit election results. These audits are open to the public and involve comparing hand counts of paper ballots to machine counts.
Concluding Remarks
Thanks to a comprehensive system of safeguards and protocols, voting in Minnesota is highly secure and accurate. From stringent registration requirements and accessible absentee balloting to transparent ballot counting procedures and post-election audits, Minnesota implements multiple layers of protection at every stage of the voting process. These guarantee that only eligible voters cast their ballots and that every vote is accurately counted. In addition, the state’s commitment to accessibility and inclusivity ensures that all citizens can participate in the democratic process with confidence.
Additional Resource
Check out this video to see a summary of key ideas from this article: vimeo.com/754039249/dc89970c0c
Next month, the third article in our League of Women Voters Minneapolis 2024 Democracy Series, “AI and How it Can Impact Elections,” will describe the role artificial intelligence may play in our elections.
