Absentee and Early Voting

To cast an absentee ballot by mail in the Presidential Election, apply on-line on the MN Secretary of State's website. 

If you prefer to apply for a mailed absentee ballot using a paper application, return your completed absentee ballot application (PDF forms below)  by mail to: PO Box 64098, Saint Paul, MN 55164; by email to elections@ramseycounty.us; by fax to 651-266-2177; or, in person to Ramsey County Elections 90 Plato Blvd W Suite 160 Saint Paul.

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For additional languages or formats, call 1-877-600-8683.

If you have not received an absentee ballot within 7 days of requesting one, please contact Ramsey County Elections directly at 651-266-2171.

BEFORE ELECTION DAY:

Return your ballot by mail or drop it off during absentee / early voting hours at the New Brighton Community Center located at 400 10th St.; New Brighton MN or one of the other Ramsey County absentee / early voting locations.

ON ELECTION DAY:

You may return your ballot BEFORE 3:00 pm in person to

• New Brighton City Hall (803 Old Hwy 8 NW; New Brighton MN) OR
•  Ramsey County Elections Offices (90 Plato Blvd Suite 160; St. Paul MN).

Please note that state law does not allow ballots to be returned in person after 3:00 pm on Election Day. State law also does not allow absentee ballots to be returned to your regular polling location.

If you did not return your absentee ballot by 3pm on Election Day, you may still cast a ballot in person at your assigned polling location. Alternately, you can hire a delivery service to deliver your absentee ballot to Ramsey County Elections at 90 Plato Blvd Suite 160 in St. Paul. Please note that it must be received before 8:00 pm on Election Day. State law requires that absentee ballots be received by 3:00 pm on Election Day if dropped off in person. However, state law allows absentee ballots to be accepted until 8:00 pm if delivered to County offices by a professional delivery service.

Pre-registered voters do not need to bring anything with them to cast an absentee ballot in person. All materials will be supplied on site. Verify your voter registration here.  Voters who update their voter registration when they vote, will need to provide proof of residency in the precinct before they can be issued a ballot. Please click here for a list of accepted proofs of residency. 

If you wish or need to cast your absentee ballot in person but cannot come inside or do not feel comfortable coming inside, you may vote from your car. Please park in one of our Curbside Voting parking spots and call the phone number on the sign. Election Judges will come out and assist you.

Locations and hours:

Click here to visit the Ramsey County Elections website for current locations and hours. 

In Minnesota, early voting is a form of absentee voting that is available in the seven (7) days before Election Day. Voters wishing to vote early are required to complete forms and documents similar to absentee voting; however, instead of placing their ballot into a series of envelopes, voters put their ballot directly into a ballot counter - much like on Election Day. Pre-registered voters do not need to bring anything with them to cast an absentee ballot in person. All materials will be supplied on site. Verify your voter registration here.  Voters who update their voter registration when they vote, will need to provide proof of residency in the precinct before they can be issued a ballot. Please click here for a list of accepted proofs of residency. 

Military and overseas voters can use a special process to get and return their ballot. Click here to visit the Minnesota Secretary of State's website to learn more. 

Some voters may be able to authorize an individual (agent) to pick up and return an absentee ballot for them. This service is available only within the seven days preceding an election.

Each agent is allowed to deliver and return ballots for a maximum of three (3) voters.

You can cast an absentee vote by agent if you are a:

• Patient in a hospital, residential treatment center or nursing home.
• Resident of a group home.
• Resident of a battered women's shelter.
• Resident of an assisted living facility.
• Disabled voter.
• Voter who would have difficulty getting to the polls because of incapacitating health reasons.

How to vote by agent

1. Choose someone to be your agent who:
   • Has a pre-existing relationship with you.
   • Is at least 18 years old.
   • Is not a candidate in the election.
2. Complete and return both of the following BEFORE 2:00 pm on Election Day:
   • Request for agent delivery of absentee ballot form (PDF)
   • Absentee ballot application (PDF)
3. Have your agent bring the completed forms to the Absentee Voting Room at the New Brighton Community Center located at 400 10th St; New Brighton MN (Use the Ramsey County Library Entrance) or to Ramsey County Elections located at 90 Plato Blvd W; St. Paul MN to pick up your ballot. 
   • Your agent can pick up a ballot until 2 p.m. on Election Day.
4. Your agent will be given your ballot and envelopes to bring to you.
5. Vote your ballot and complete materials according to the enclosed instructions.
6. Have your agent return your voted ballot to the office where they picked it up BEFORE 3:00 pm on Election Day.
   • Your agent must show an ID with name and signature.
   • Voted ballots must be returned by 3 p.m. on Election Day to be counted.

Click here to check the status of your absentee ballot.

If the tracker says that your ballot has been sent, your voted ballot has not yet been received. 

If the tracker says that your ballot has been received, your voted ballot has arrived in the mail but has not yet been processed.

If the tracker says that your ballot has been accepted, your voted ballot has been processed and will be counted. 

If the tracker says that your ballot has been rejected, your voted ballot was processed and an error or omission was found. Ramsey County Elections will automatically mail you a replacement ballot along with an explanation of why your ballot was rejected. You may choose one of the following options to ensure your vote counts:

• Use the replacement ballot when it arrives
• Visit the Absentee / Early Vote Center at the New Brighton Community Center or one of the other locations during voting hours / times to receive assistance from Election Judges to ensure no errors are made. If you prefer not to come inside the building, you may complete the process from your car.
• Cast your ballot at the polls on Election Day. Click here to verify your Election Day voting location before you leave as there were some polling place changes due to Covid-19. 

If you have questions about your absentee ballot, please contact Ramsey County Elections at 651-266-2171.

In Minnesota, absentee ballots are accepted or rejected within 3 - 5 days of being received and they begin being opened and counted fourteen (14) days before Election Day.  

If you wish for your submitted absentee ballot to be "spoiled" and want your ballot re-issued to you, please call Ramsey County Elections at 651-266-2171. Please note that once your absentee ballot has been opened and counted you have already voted in the election. Your absentee ballot cannot be "spoiled" and you can not receive a new ballot. 

Every state has its own laws and jargon regarding elections and this makes it really confusing! 

Mail Balloting

When some people talk about voting by mail, they are talking about how elections are run in states like Oregon, Washington, Utah, Colorado and Hawaii. In these states, voters essentially pre-register to vote in advance of Election Day. Pre-registered voters are then automatically mailed a ballot for each election which they then return via mail or drop box. In Minnesota, there are some mail balloting precincts outside of the Twin Cities area that have been voting this way since it was approved by the MN State Legislature in 1987. However, most people in Minnesota who talk about voting by mail are talking about casting an absentee ballot by mail. 

Absentee Voting

Minnesota voters who wish to cast an absentee ballot can do without providing a reason. To have an absentee ballot mailed to you, a voter needs to complete and submit an absentee ballot application - either on-line or via paper application. In New Brighton, Absentee Ballot Applications are received and processed by Ramsey County Elections. Once your absentee ballot application is processed and verified in the Statewide Voter Registration System, a ballot will be mailed to your home along with instructions, a Manilla secrecy envelope to keep your ballot private, a bar-coded signature envelope for you to certify that you are the person using the ballot, and a return envelope to keep the personal information on your signature envelope private when you mail it back. You can return your absentee ballot by mail or you can drop it off at an early vote center during voting hours. (See question above for locations and times.) 

Voters who wish to cast an absentee ballot but do not want to conduct this process through the mail, can complete the entire process in person during the absentee / early voting hours at an absentee/ early voting center. (See question above for locations and times.)

Like on Election Day, voters who need to update their voter registration records can do this at the same time they cast an absentee ballot and, like Election Day, voters updating their voter registration when they cast their ballot need to provide proof of residency in the precinct in order for their ballot to be accepted.

Early Voting

A lot of people who talk about early voting are referring to casting an absentee ballot in the 46 days before Election Day. However, when other people talk about early voting, they are referring to a process that allows Minnesota voters to cast their ballot early in person at an absentee / early voting center but instead of placing their ballot into a series of envelopes, the voter places their ballot directly into a ballot counter just like you would do on Election Day. Minnesota state law permits this type of early voting only in the seven (7) days before Election Day.