Early Voting Underway; Plan to Vote November 6 or Sooner!

Published

It’s not too soon to think about voting in the November 6 general election; in fact, it’s not too soon to VOTE!

From September 21 through November 5, Minnesota voters can cast their ballots in person at their county courthouse or through the mail with an absentee ballot.

You can vote in person at your county court- house if you are a registered voter or have proof of residence. In addition, some cities and towns also have in-person voting prior to election day.

You can request an absentee ballot online at mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us/ABRegistration/ ABRegistrationStep1.aspx. If you’re an eligible voter, all you need is an email address and a driver’s license, Minnesota ID, or Social Security number. If you don’t have an email address or one of those forms of ID, you can print out a paper absentee ballot request at www.sos.state. mn.us/elections-voting/other-ways-to-vote/ vote-early-by-mail/.

If you don’t vote early, vote November 6 at your local polling place between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. See next month’s paper, millelacsband.com, and the Band’s Facebook page for more information about candidates and voting.

This election is crucial for many reasons.

We have the ability to make Peggy Flanagan the first Native American Lieutenant Governor in Minnesota history.

We can help put Keith Ellison in the Attorney General’s office — an office with a great deal of influence over the state’s recognition of our reservation and our sovereignty.

We can send Joe Radinovich to the U.S. House of Representatives to continue the positive legacy of Rick Nolan and Jim Oberstar in the face of close competition.

We can finally remove Sondra Erickson from the State House once and for all by supporting Emy Minzel in District 15A.

We can return our two Senators, Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, to Washington D.C. to help provide a counterbalance to the Trump administration.

There are many equally significant races your local district, so please do your homework and VOTE for the person who will best represent your values in government. You can view your sample ballot at myballotmn.
sos.state.mn.us.

Agent delivery

In special situations, you may ask an agent to pick up and return an absentee ballot for you. This is called “agent delivery.”

To qualify for agent delivery, you mustlive in a/an:

– nursing home
– assisted living facility
– residential treatment center
– group home
– battered women's shelter
– or, be hospitalized or unable to go to the polling place due to incapacitating health reasons or a disability.

Your agent must be at least 18 years old, have a pre-existing relationship with you, and cannot be a candidate. An individual cannot be an agent of more than three voters in an election. Give your agent a completed absentee ballot application and a request for agent delivery of absentee ballot form. Have your agent take both forms to the local election office to receive your ballot.

Your agent can pick up your ballot starting seven days before the election until 2 p.m. on Election Day. Your agent or someone else you designate must return your ballot by 3 p.m. on Election Day. You can also return your ballot by mail. Election officials must receive your ballot on or before Election Day.