Elections FAQ's

Confirm your Election Day voting location before Election Day by visiting the MN Secretary of State’s On-line Pollfinder.

The City has eight (8) precincts and residents of each precinct vote at different polling places on Election Day. Polling places may change from time to time as buildings become unavailable or unsuitable for use or if precinct boundary lines change. When a polling place changes, every household with at least one registered voter will receive notification in the mail. However, it is recommended that you double check your voting location before Election Day. 

View the current New Brighton precinct map with addresses.

In Minnesota, voters are allowed to cast an absentee ballot for any reason in the 46 days prior to Election Day by mail or in person. Voters can also vote early in the seven (7) days before Election Day. Learn more about how to cast a ballot early in 2020 >

Military and overseas voters can vote by absentee ballot by using the process outlined in the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) administered by the MN Secretary of State’s Office.

The following voters may authorize an agent to pick up and return their absentee ballot in the seven (7) days immediately preceding Election Day.

• Patients in hospitals, residential treatment facilities and nursing homes
• Residents of group homes
• Residents of battered women’s shelters
• Residents of assisted living facilities
• Voters who are disabled
• Voters who would have difficulty getting to the polls due to incapacitating health reasons

In order to have an agent deliver your ballot, you must complete and return the Request for Agent Delivery of Absentee Ballot form and the Absentee Ballot Application. You must have a pre-existing relationship with your agent. The agent will use these completed forms to pick up a ballot on your behalf, bring it to you and return your completed ballot to the Ramsey County Elections. Each agent is allowed to deliver and return ballots for a maximum of three (3) voters. This service is available only in the seven (7) days immediately preceding an election. Ballots may be picked up from the Ramsey County Elections Offices until 2:00pm on Election Day. Completed ballots must be returned to Ramsey County Elections located at 90 Plato Blvd; St. Paul, MN by 3:00pm on Election Day.

A flowchart outlining the process of absentee voting using an agent for delivery can be downloaded for easy reference.

Find out what offices and candidates will be on your ballot by visiting the MN Secretary of State’s website and clicking on Who’s On My Ballot. Information is available approximately 45 days prior to Election Day.

Visit the Secretary of State’s Candidate Filings  page to look for contact information for specific candidates and offices.

Yes it did.  The City of New Brighton will no longer be holding odd-year municipal elections.  The next municipal election will be in November of 2020.

No. Not unless they qualify for Agent Delivery. 

Delivery of Ballots by Others

The following voters may authorize an agent to pick up and return their absentee ballot in the seven (7) days immediately preceding Election Day.

• Patients in hospitals, residential treatment facilities and nursing homes
• Residents of group homes
• Residents of battered women’s shelters
• Residents of assisted living facilities
• Voters who are disabled
• Voters who would have difficulty getting to the polls due to incapacitating health reasons

In order to have an agent deliver your ballot, you must complete and return the Request for Agent Delivery of Absentee Ballot form and the Absentee Ballot Application. You must have a pre-existing relationship with your agent. The agent will use these completed forms to pick up a ballot on your behalf, bring it to you and return your completed ballot to the City Clerk or county elections official. Each agent is allowed to deliver and return ballots for a maximum of three (3) voters. This service is available only in the seven (7) days immediately preceding an election. Ballots may be picked up from the City Clerk until 2:00pm on Election Day. Completed ballots must be returned to the City Clerk by 3:00pm on Election Day.

Wondering if you’re registered to vote? Find out here.

If you don’t find your voter registration or if your information is incorrect, you can update your registration at the same time you cast an absentee ballot!

When you come to cast an absentee ballot in person, allow an extra 5 minutes or so and be sure to bring allowable proof of residency in the precinct with you. The MN Secretary of State’s website lists documents that Election officials can accept as proof of residency in the precinct.

In the 46 days prior to Election Day, voters may cast an absentee ballot in person or they may complete the absentee process by mail. In Minnesota, all citizens are allowed to vote using an absentee ballot for any reason and all absentee ballots that have been received by Election Day and accepted* by the Absentee Ballot Board are counted. You can also track the status of your ballot and verify it has been counted!

View the Status of Your Ballot >

*Note: To be accepted by the Absentee Ballot Board:

• The voter’s name and address on the envelope must match the absentee ballot application.
• The voter must have signed the envelope.
• The voter must have provided the same identification numbers on the envelope and the application or the signature on envelope must match the signature on the application.
• The voter must be be registered and eligible to vote in the precinct or have included a properly complete and signed Voter Registration Application with proof of residence marked on the envelope.
• A witness must have signed the statement on the envelope and provided a MN residential address, a title indicating they are eligible to administer oaths or affixed a notary stamp.
• The voter must not have already voted in the election.
• If the absentee ballot was delivered by an agent, it must be sealed and cannot appear to have been tampered with.
• It must have been received on time. (Before 3:00 pm on Election Day at City Hall if on Election Day and by 8:00 pm on Election Day at Ramsey County offices if delivered by USPS or a parcel service.)

Alternately, voters may choose to cast a ballot using the early voting process in the seven (7) days before Election Day.  Voters who choose to use the early voting process put their ballot directly into the ballot counter yourself like Election Day. Learn where to Vote Early In-Person >

If you need help voting, you have lots of options! You can bring someone with you, ask an election judge for help, use a machine to mark your ballot or even vote from your car.

Bringing Someone with You

You are welcome to bring a relative, friend or neighbor with you to help you as long as that person is not your employer, your union representative and is not on the ballot. The person you bring with you can help you in all parts of the voting process, including in the voting booth; however, helpers can only physically mark ballots for up to three voters in an election. In addition, they are not allowed to make choices for you, share how you vote with others or try to influence you to vote a certain way. If you have someone help you mark your ballot, you are welcome to show your ballot privately to an election judge to check that it is correctly marked.

Help from Election Judges

You may also ask election judges for assistance. Election officials are happy to assist with:

• Reading or marking a ballot
• Obtaining a magnifying device or chair to use in the voting booth
• Voting at the curb in your vehicle
• Using an ADA compliant voter assistant terminal to mark your ballot

Please be aware that for integrity purposes, that two election staff members or election judges of opposing parties are required when assistance with ballot marking is needed.

Voting Machines for People Who Want Assistance

The Absentee Voting room at the New Brighton Community Center and the polls on Election Day are equipped with ballot marking devices that can mark a ballot for you. It gives you privacy if you cannot or choose not to vote using a pen.  These ballot marking devices can help you”

• View the ballot on a screen that can enlarge the font or display the ballot with a high-contrast background
• Listen to an audio version of the ballot through headphones
• Fill out your ballot using a Braille keypad, a touch screen, a key pad or personal sip and puff port. After you make your choices, the device prints your completed ballot so you can place it into the ballot counter. Note: this device marks but does not count ballots.

Voting From Your Car

If you cannot easily leave your vehicle to enter a polling place, you can ask to have a ballot brought out to you.  This is known as “Curbside Voting.”

Two election judges from different major political parties will bring a ballot out to your vehicle. If you need to register or update your registration, they will bring you an application as well. When you are finished voting, the election judges will bring your ballot inside for you and put it into the ballot box.

Voting When You Fear For Your Safety

Please visit Safe At Home: An Address Confidentiality if you are in a situation where you wish to vote but fear for your safety if your address were to be disclosed in voter records.

Time off to Vote

In a state or federal election, every employee has the right to be excused from work to vote on Election Day without penalty or loss of salary or wages as per Minnesota Statute 204C.04.

Election results can be found on the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website. Click here to view results >

Here are some unique situations you might fall into:

• Voters who are away at College
• Voters in the Military or Living Abroad
• Voters with a Criminal Record
• Voters under Guardianship
• Voters with an Impairment
• Voters in a Nursing Home or Hospital
• Voters Who Fear for Their Personal Safety
• Voters residing in a Residential Facility
• Voters Who are Moving on or close to Election Day
• Voters temporarily Living in Minnesota
• Voters Experiencing Homelessness
• Voters Whose Home is in Foreclosure
• Voters Whose Home Was Destroyed by Fire, Flood or Other Disaster

For more information, please contact any of the following voting resources.

Voter Registration

http://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/

City of New Brighton Elections

Ramsey County Elections

https://www.ramseycounty.us/residents/elections-voting

Minnesota Secretary of State

Major Political Parties in Minnesota

https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/how-elections-work/political-parties/