How do primary elections work?
Primaries are possible for federal offices (U.S. Senate and House), state offices (governor, attorney general, secretary of state and state auditor), state Legislature seats and county board and countywide offices.
So are races in some Northern Minnesota cities and school districts. This year, primaries were triggered in the cities of Bemidji, Chisholm, Cloquet and Hibbing and the Red Lake school district.
In partisan races or those with political parties, only one candidate in each party moves on. For example, the winner of the Republican primary for governor will be on the ballot in the November general election. The rest of the candidates are out of the running, unless they choose to run write-in campaigns.
You can only vote for one party, but you choose which one, as Minnesota doesn’t have party registration.
In nonpartisan races, the primary narrows the pool of candidates down to twice the number of available seats.
So if five candidates are running for county sheriff, the top two in the primary will be on the ballot in November. If 14 people are running for four seats on the school board, the top eight will advance.
Where and when do I vote?
There are three ways to vote in Minnesota: by mail, early in-person and in-person on Election Day.
Voting by mail began June 26. Some precincts in rural areas are mail ballot precincts, and ballots are automatically mailed to registered voters there. If you don’t live in a mail ballot precinct, you can still request a ballot at mnvotes.gov/absentee. You can return your ballot by mail, and those ballots must be received by no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day. Or, you can drop it off yourself at your county elections office no later than 5 p.m. on Election Day.
Early in-person voting also began June 26. You can go to your county’s early voting location(s), usually the courthouse or government center, and fill out an absentee ballot. You will need to know your MN ID or Social Security number to fill out the application.
Starting July 24, voters can cast ballots as part of the “early voting process,” which is more similar to voting on Election Day. You’ll fill out a short certificate, fill out a ballot and then put it into the ballot counter.
Unless otherwise noted, locations are also open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8, and until 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 10.
On Primary Election Day, Tuesday, Aug. 11, you can go to your local polling place to vote until 8 p.m. You can find your polling place at mnvotes.gov/pollfinder.
Local election officials also send teams of election judges to nursing homes and hospitals during the 35 days before the election and provide ballots to voters who live in the city or town where the facility is located. You can contact facility management or your local election office to find out when that will happen.
How do I register to vote?
You can register to vote, update your registration or check your registration online at mnvotes.gov or by returning a paper form to your local elections office until July 21. You’ll need an email address and your driver’s license or the last four digits of your Social Security number.
You can also register when you vote, either early in-person or on Election Day. You’ll need to bring one proof of residence, like your driver’s license or a photo ID paired with a bill or lease. Click here for exactly what you'll need to bring.
Where can I find more information?
For more details on voting, you can visit mnvotes.gov, call 1-877-600-VOTE (8683), text 651-217-3862 or contact your county election office.
For more on the 2026 election, including candidates, maps and more, visit kaxe.org/elections.
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