Voter Resources
The Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State offers a number of helpful resources for voters, including:
- Online voter registration
- Request an absentee ballot online
- Track your absentee ballot
- Sample Ballot viewer
- Polling place finder
“Minnesota Votes: Introduction to Voting”
The Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans and the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State are proud to present the new “Minnesota Votes: Introduction to Voting” video series.
New voters can learn about voting, including how to get registered, informed, and involved, and experienced voters can refresh their knowledge. This video series can also be used by those who want to provide voter education, including teachers, parents, and volunteers.
The series is accessible through American Sign Language (ASL), captions, voice-overs, and text and Microsoft Word transcripts of audio content with video descriptions included.
Minnesota Votes: Introduction to Voting
Polling Place Accessibility
Federal and state laws require that all polling places be accessible and usable by elderly voters or voters with disabilities.
The Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State lists the minimum requirements for polling place accessibility, as well as resources for reporting a concern and requesting additional accommodations.
Disability Voter Gap
The State of Minnesota has the highest disability gap in voter turnout in the country, with a gap of -19.5%. A study by Rutgers outlines the national trends and why voters with disabilities have a lower turnout than those without.
Disability and Voter Turnout (PDF)
Observations on Polling Place Accessibility
Improving polling place accessibility begins with understanding what barriers currently exist. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) undertook a survey of 178 polling places during the 2016 election. From their findings:
At these polling places, GAO examined a number of features outside and inside the voting area. Outside the voting area, GAO was able to examine features at all 178 polling places and found that 60 percent (107) had one or more potential impediments. The most common were steep ramps located outside buildings, lack of signs indicating accessible paths, and poor parking or path surfaces.
Learn more about GAO’s findings: Voters with Disabilities: Observations on Polling Place Accessibility and Related Federal Guidance