Election Information
Learn more about voting and civic engagement while in college.
Information about voter dates and deadlines, registering to vote, voting residence in college, and any other questions students might have about registering to vote while in college.
This guide provides information on the steps to vote, but provides no bias on the candidates and issues to vote for. Students are encouraged to do their own research around the candidates and issues that will be on their ballot.
Four Steps to Vote
Register to vote.
Visit your state’s voting website and check your registration or find the steps to register to vote in your state.
Learn where and how to vote.
You should register to vote from the address you currently consider home. For many students, this is likely a school address or a parent’s house.
Research candidates and issues.
Starting by finding out what is on your ballot, research candidates and the issues they support, talk with people in your life who you trust and respect, watch or attend debates, and find voter guides from news sources you trust.
Vote!
November 5 is Election Day. Either vote early by mail, or find your local polling place. Most polling places are open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.
For more information about voting in Minnesota, visit mnvotes.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
Election Dates:
- February 13 – Register in advance to save time on Election Day.
- March 5 – Presidential Primary
- July 23 – Register in advance to save time on Election Day.
- August 13 – Primary Election
- October 15 – Register to vote to save time on Election Day.
- November 5 – Election Day
To register in the state of Minnesota a student must:
- be a United States citizen
- be a Minnesota resident for 20 days before the next election
- maintain residence at the address given on the registration form
- be at least 16 years old to register (students must be at least 18 years old to vote)
- not currently be incarcerated for a conviction of a felony offense
- not be under a court ordered guardianship in which the right to vote has been revoked
- not be found by a court to be legally incompetent to vote
Students can check to see if they are registered in Minnesota here.
Students should register to vote from the address they currently consider home. For many, this is likely a school address or a parent’s house. If a student still goes back to visit but no longer consider it it their home, then they should register to vote where they live at school.
If a student moved to Minnesota from another state and currently considers Minnesota their home, they can vote here even if they pay out-of-state tuition or have a driver’s license from another state.
If they do not consider their school address to be their home, they can apply to vote by mail with an absentee ballot.
Minnesota voters can apply online; otherwise, they can visit their home state’s election website.
To prove residency in order to vote in Minnesota, a student can use a variety of documents. The Minnesota Secretary of State’s office provides a list of acceptable documents here.
If a student meets the voting requirements listed above, they may register to vote one of three ways:
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- Online: A student can register online through the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website, MN Secretary of State, if they have a Minnesota driver’s license or Minnesota identification card. Students can visit the Minnesota Secretary of State website and follow the instructions for online registration: Register Online to Vote.
- By Mail: Students can download and print a voter registration application form from the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website here.
Students should mail or drop off their application to either their county election office, or to:Secretary of State
First National Bank Building
332 Minnesota Street, Suite N201
Saint Paul, MN 55101 - In Person: Students can register to vote in person at their county election office or at their polling place on Election Day. They will need to fill out a registration form and provide proof of residence, such as a driver’s license, state ID, or a document with their current name and address. Find more information about registering on Election Day here.
Unlike many states, students can wait until Election Day to register in Minnesota. However, we encourage students to register before Election Day—it will save them time at the polling place.
- The deadline to register online is 11:59 p.m. 21 days before Election Day.
- The deadline to register on paper is 5 p.m. 21 days before Election Day.
- Within 20 days before the election, student’s can submit a registration form but it will not be processed until after Election Day.
- Students can always register when they vote, either at a polling place, or when voting absentee.
If students do not consider their school address to be their home, they can apply to vote by mail with an absentee ballot.
In Minnesota, students can vote early with an absentee ballot starting 46 days before Election Day.
Students can request an absentee ballot online for federal, state, and county elections. Request an absentee ballot here.
To vote by mail, students will need to apply to have an absentee ballot mailed to them. They do not need to be registered to apply.
For a voters ballot to count, they must remember this important information:
- Read the instructions that come with your ballot carefully.
- You will need a witness when you vote and complete your ballot. The witness can be either a registered Minnesota voter or a notary.
- Return the ballot and forms right away after you finish. Your ballot will not count if it is received after Election Day.
For help with the voting process in other states check out the resources on TurboVote.
You can have your absentee ballot sent to you anywhere in the world! Learn how.
Find your Minnesota polling location here.
If students’ on-campus address is their registered voting address, their polling place is:
CENTENNIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH (P-1)
1524 COUNTY ROAD C2 W
ROSEVILLE, MN 55113
Voting hours are typically from 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
If a student’s voter registration is current and active, they do not need to bring identification. This means they were successfully registered at least 21 days before Election Day and have not moved or changed names since then.
If they need to register or update their registration, or they have not voted in four years or more, they will need to show proof of residence before they vote.
Colleges and universities send election officials a student housing list. If a student is on the list, they will need to show a college photo ID to complete their registration.
Yes! UNW believes one of the ways that we can seek the peace and prosperity of our cities is to participate in the election process.
We are committing to…
- Provide a list to the county of all students in residential housing and those residing within the city of Roseville, MN 60 days prior to the election and an updated list 20 days prior.
- We will provide voter registration forms to students twice a year and at least 15 days prior to the preregistration deadline for the state general election. Voter registration forms will be available in the upper-level Student Life Office.
- Maintain this web page with updated information.
- Consult with campus student associations to create and implement additional voter engagement plans.
- Submit a report by November 30 of each year to the Office of Secretary of State on their implementation of the statute provisions.
The Campus Vote Coordinator is Cory Wilder.
Campus Vote Coordinator
