[MN-at-Large] Guide to Accessible Voting by Mail & Early in Minnesota

Thu Sep 24 21:46:17 UTC 2026

Hi everyone,

Voting for Minnesota’s November 3 election is underway, and I want to make sure you know about your options. Board member Steve Jacobson, working with our Government Affairs Committee, has prepared the below guide to requesting and using an accessible absentee ballot. It also covers voting in person before Election Day.

If you’re considering voting from home, please read the guide soon. You’ll need to request a regular absentee ballot first, then contact your county election office to request an accessible ballot. Starting early gives you time to receive the ballot materials, complete the process, and return your ballot.

Thank you to Steve for putting this information together. If you encounter an accessibility barrier while voting, please let us know so we can follow up.

Your Options

We are fortunate to have multiple options for casting our ballots in Minnesota. You can use an accessible voting machine on election day, you can vote early at specific locations in your city or county and use an accessible voting machine, and you can get an accessible mail ballot as well. If you are planning to vote in person early or on election day, be sure to check on the locations in case they have changed since you last voted.

Particularly if you are new to Minnesota, be aware that the accessible voting machine being used is determined at the county level, even though all of the voting machines are certified by the Secretary of State. For Example, Hennepin, Ramsey and Dakota counties each use different machines.

Early Voting

First, let’s take a quick look at “early voting.”  

In-person absentee voting began September 18 at designated locations. Beginning October 16, at least one location in each county will also offer the new early voting process, which lets you place your completed ballot directly into a ballot counter.

Each early voting location is required to have an accessible voting machine. You can call your city or county offices to find out where you can vote early, or you can visit Early Voting Locations <https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/other-ways-to-vote/voting-locations-before-election-day/>  on the Secretary of State’s website. In many counties in greater Minnesota, there is one early voting location in each county. In the Twin Cities Metropolitan area, most suburbs and cities have voting locations and some have more than one location. 

Also note that Hennepin County residents can vote at the Government Center in downtown Minneapolis regardless of where you live.

The process depends on when and where you vote. With in-person absentee voting, you return your ballot in an envelope for later review. Beginning October 16, locations offering early voting let you put your completed ballot directly into a ballot counter. Check which process your location offers before you go.

There are also minor differences in the registration process as well.  

Voting by Mail

Since one no longer is required to give a reason to need an absentee ballot in Minnesota, this process is often called “Voting by Mail,” although the term “absentee ballot” is still frequently used on voter information websites. Time must be allowed for your mail-in ballot to get to you through the mail, and your ballot must be returned by mail or dropped off by election day. Having your ballot post-marked by election day is not good enough. 

Here is how it works. This information is accurate as far as we know, but there are some aspects we have not been able to confirm, and there can be variations in different counties. While blind Minnesotans may need assistance to sign the ballot envelope and add their State ID number and the last four digits of their Social Security Number, the ballot itself can remain private. Remember that “early voting” using an accessible voting machine is an option as described above.

The accessible absentee ballot process used by most counties in Minnesota uses an accessible ballot created by a company named Democracy Live. They have produced a demonstration of this process on YouTube which can be played at Accessible Ballot Demonstration <https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dhdi-Ge54TkM%26t%3D3s&data=05%7C01%7C%7C30aae37249f240557f0708dab4442392%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638020502006859637%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=wwWi9Mko0CgaiEyvYIX8yw7U5kHvuPt1NcIaKL1I9qM%3D&reserved=0> .

Follow these steps to request, complete, and return your accessible, absentee ballot.

Request your absentee ballot <https://www.sos.mn.gov/elections-voting/>  using the standard process. This process and a lot of other very useful information can be found at http://www.mnvotes.gov/. You will need the envelopes that will be sent with your paper, absentee ballot, so don’t throw them away even if you use the accessible ballot instead! Please note that the information you enter when requesting a ballot is matched to registration data by a computerized process. If you have unusual spaces or punctuation in your name, you might find using a paper form or downloading the application to request a mail-in ballot to be necessary.

Contact your county’s election office (Office of the County Auditor), <https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/find-county-election-office/?searchTerm=county%20elections>  after requesting your absentee ballot and request an electronic ballot as a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Many counties now have someone designated to handle absentee ballot requests. Some county contact information is supplied at the end of this email.

Follow the link and instructions that your County Auditor will e-mail to you to reach the Omniballot system hosted by Democracy Live. The link that is emailed to you will be pointing to the ballot that applies to where you are registered to vote. Since it is not a general link, it cannot be included here. 

Print the marked ballot, and seal it inside the smallest envelope (called the Secrecy Envelope) sent with your absentee ballot.

Insert the Secrecy Envelope into the medium-sized, white Signature Envelope and seal it. At this point, you may need sighted assistance to fully complete the required form fields on the signature envelope. This includes your signature, a signature of a witness, Your State ID number, and the last four digits of your Social Security number. Please note that both your State ID number and the last four digits of your social Security number are now required when requesting a mail-in ballot.

Place this sealed envelope inside the largest Mailing/Return Envelope, seal it, and mail it so that it arrives by Election Day. You can also deliver your absentee ballot in person.

 <https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/find-county-election-office/> Find Your County Election Office

Contact the Minnesota Voter Help Hotline at (651) 215-1440 for any questions related to accessible voting.

Use the Find Your County Election Office website <https://www.sos.mn.gov/elections-voting/find-county-election-office/>  to locate current contact information for your county.

I found that finding your county on the list and pressing SPACE or ENTER seems to work well. Counties are identified as buttons, and space or ENTER will expand the associated information just after the button leaving the list of counties visible. Here is some information for several major counties that cover the Twin Cities, Rochester, Mankato, Duluth, and the St. Cloud area for your convenience. 

Benton County

Election official: Christine Scherbing

General phone: 320-968-5006

Fax: 320-968-5337

Website:  <http://www.co.benton.mn.us/> http://www.co.benton.mn.us/

Email:  <mailto:elections at co.benton.mn.us> elections at co.benton.mn.us

ABSENTEE VOTING CONTACT

Heather Bondhus

Phone: 320-968-5027

Fax: 320-968-5337

Email:  <mailto:elections at co.benton.mn.us> elections at co.benton.mn.us

Blue Earth County

Election official: Michael Stalberger

General phone: 507-304-4341

Fax: 507-304-4075

Website:  <http://www.blueearthcountymn.gov/index.aspx?nid=326> http://www.blueearthcountymn.gov/index.aspx?nid=326

Email:  <mailto:BEC.Elections at blueearthcountymn.gov> BEC.Elections at blueearthcountymn.gov

STREET ADDRESS

Blue Earth County Historic Courthouse

204 S 5th St

Mankato, MN 56001

MAILING ADDRESS

Blue Earth County Elections

PO Box 3567

Mankato, MN 56002-3567

ABSENTEE VOTING CONTACT

Kristy Maes

Phone: 507-304-4341

Fax: 507-304-4075

Email:  <mailto:BEC.Elections at blueearthcountymn.gov> BEC.Elections at blueearthcountymn.gov

Hennepin County Elections

Election official: Ginny Gelms

Phone: 612-348-5151

Fax: 612-348-2151

Email:  <mailto:hc.vote at hennepin.us> hc.vote at hennepin.us

ABSENTEE VOTING CONTACT

Hennepin County Elections

Phone: 612-348-5151

Fax: 612-348-2151

Website:  <https://www.hennepin.us/> https://www.hennepin.us

Email:  <mailto:hc.vote at hennepin.us> hc.vote at hennepin.us

Nicollet County

Election official: Jaci Kopet

General phone: 507-934-7806

Fax: 507-931-0856

Website:  <http://www.co.nicollet.mn.us/> http://www.co.nicollet.mn.us/

Email:  <mailto:election at co.nicollet.mn.us> election at co.nicollet.mn.us

ADDRESS

Nicollet County Govt Center

501 S Minnesota Ave

St Peter, MN 56082

ABSENTEE VOTING CONTACT

Jaci Kopet

Phone: 507-934-7806

Fax: 507-931-0856

Email:  <mailto:election at co.nicollet.mn.us> election at co.nicollet.mn.us

Olmsted County

Election official: Luke Turner

General phone: 507-328-7650

Fax: 507-328-7640

Website:  <https://olmstedcounty.gov> https://olmstedcounty.gov

Email:  <mailto:elections at co.olmsted.mn.us> elections at co.olmsted.mn.us

ABSENTEE VOTING CONTACT

Luke Turner

Phone: 507-328-7650

Fax: 507-328-7640

Email:  <mailto:elections at co.olmsted.mn.us> elections at co.olmsted.mn.us

Ramsey County

Election official: David Triplett

General phone: 651-266-2171

Fax: 651-266-2177

Website:  <https://www.ramseycounty.us/residents/elections-voting> https://www.ramseycounty.us/residents/elections-voting

Email:  <mailto:elections at co.ramsey.mn.us> elections at co.ramsey.mn.us

ABSENTEE VOTING CONTACT

Absentee Ballot Coordinator

Phone: 651-266-2171

Fax: 651-266-2177

Email:  <mailto:elections at co.ramsey.mn.us> elections at co.ramsey.mn.us

Saint Louis County

Election official: Nancy Nilsen

General phone: 218-726-2385

Fax: 218-725-5060

Website:  <http://www.stlouiscountymn.gov/> http://www.stlouiscountymn.gov/

Email:  <mailto:elections at stlouiscountymn.gov> elections at stlouiscountymn.gov

ABSENTEE VOTING CONTACT

St. Louis County Elections

Phone: 218-726-2385

Fax: 218-725-5060

Email:  <mailto:elections at stlouiscountymn.gov> elections at stlouiscountymn.gov

Sherburne County

Election official: Loraine Rupp

General phone: 763-765-4351

Fax: 763-765-4400

Website:  <http://www.co.sherburne.mn.us/> http://www.co.sherburne.mn.us/

Email:  <mailto:elections at co.sherburne.mn.us> elections at co.sherburne.mn.us

ABSENTEE VOTING CONTACT

Kenneth Selser, Jr.

Phone: 763-765-4351

Fax: 763-765-4400

Email:  <mailto:elections at co.sherburne.mn.us> elections at co.sherburne.mn.us

Stearns County

Election official: Randy Schreifels

General phone: 320-656-3920

Fax: 320-203-6960

Website:  <https://www.stearnscountymn.gov> https://www.stearnscountymn.gov

Email:  <mailto:elections at co.stearns.mn.us> elections at co.stearns.mn.us

ABSENTEE VOTING CONTACT

Julie Ritz

Phone: 320-656-6522

Fax: 320-203-6960

Email:  <mailto:julie.ritz at co.stearns.mn.us> julie.ritz at co.stearns.mn.us

Washington County

Election official: Matt Moore

General phone: 651-430-6175

Fax: 651-430-6178

Website:  <http://www.co.washington.mn.us/> http://www.co.washington.mn.us/

Email:  <mailto:elections at co.washington.mn.us> elections at co.washington.mn.us

ABSENTEE VOTING CONTACT

Washington County Elections

Phone: 651-430-6175

Fax: 651-430-6178

Email:  <mailto:elections at co.washington.mn.us> elections at co.washington.mn.us

One, Final Point

I hope this information is helpful, but please remember that some parts of this process could be different in your particular county.

Best regards,

Steve Jacobson, Board Member

National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota

www.nfbmn.org <http://www.nfbmn.org/>  | (612) 872-9363

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