“Voters should no longer place their absentee ballots in the mail. Any Minnesota voter right now who ordered an absentee ballot to come to them by mail, it is too late for you practically speaking to get it back," Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon said last week. "Don’t risk it. Don’t put it in the mail."
On Thursday, Oct. 29, a three-member panel of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 in favor of Minnesotan Republican electors who challenged the state's previous move to accept mail-in absentee ballots up to a week after Election Day, as long as they were postmarked by Nov. 3.
The three-person panel has ordered elections officials to cut off accepting absentee ballots on 8 p.m. of Election Day. Any ballots that arrive by mail after then will be held separately upon arrival, their fate likely to be determined by another court.
Though the last-minute ruling alters state officials' plan to continue accepting ballots past Nov. 3, Minnesotans shouldn't panic: You still have time to vote.
Across the U.S., and particularly in Minnesota, a historic number of voters have already voted by mail or early in-person. As of Friday, Oct. 30, the Minnesota Secretary of State's Office reports that over 1.58 million absentee ballots have been accepted in the state alone. That number dwarfs Minnesota's 2016 general election's total absentee ballot acceptance, nearly 678,000.
With the deadline to have cast your vote rapidly approaching, here's how Minnesotans can make sure their votes count:
I requested a mail-in absentee ballot but haven't returned it. What do I do now?
For Minnesotans who have requested and received a mail-in absentee ballot but have not yet returned it, officials now recommend dropping off your completed ballot at your county elections office or another designated, official ballot drop-off location rather than putting it in the mail. (Only some cities and towns have additional drop-off locations for ballots, but every county elections office is able to accept them. Check with your county elections office for your local rules.)
If ballots are dropped in the mail at this point, officials warn that ballots likely will not arrive in time to be counted. Dropping your absentee ballot off yourself ensures its timely delivery.
"Just because you have your ballot sent to you by mail does not mean you have to return it by mail. Every voter has always been free to hand-deliver that ballot to the place where it should go," Simon said.
Be sure to follow all directions on the absentee ballot in order to ensure it is properly counted.
I already mailed back or dropped my ballot. How do I make sure it was counted?
Minnesotans can check the status of their absentee ballot on the Secretary of State Office's website at mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us/AbsenteeBallotStatus.aspx.
How can I vote in-person?
Early voting has been available to Minnesotans since Sept. 18. If you haven't already cast your ballot, you can still vote in-person today (Monday, Nov. 2) or on Election Day Tuesday.
Every county elections office offers early in-person voting. Some areas have additional early in-person voting locations open, as well. Contact your county elections office for details.
You can also still vote in-person at your polling place on Tuesday. You can find your polling location for in-person voting on Election Day on the Minnesota Secretary of State's website. Most polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.
If a voter is in line by 8 p.m. to vote on Tuesday, Nov. 3, they should stay in line and vote. The voter will vote.
Do I have to wear a mask at the polls?
Yes. Gov. Tim Walz's Executive Order 20-81 requires Minnesotans to wear face masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in all public buildings. This includes polling places.
The SOS Office is encouraging mask-wearing, but says voters will not be denied the right to vote if they fail to wear a mask.
What is the deadline to register to vote?
Minnesota allows for same-day voter registration up until Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
What if someone tries to block or intimidate me from voting?
Voter intimidation and poll-watching is not legal in Minnesota.
If a Minnesotan believes that they have experienced or witnessed any form of election misconduct, including voter intimidation or discrimination, they can file a complaint with their county attorney's office. More details on how to do so can be found on the SOS Office's website, www.sos.state.mn.us.
How many absentee ballots are still out there?
According to the most recent numbers released by Simon's office, more than 1.58 million Minnesotans' absentee ballots have already been processed as of Friday, Oct. 30 — shattering absentee voting records of past years. But nearly 2 million Minnesotans have applied for absentee ballots and haven't returned them in time for processing yet.
That makes for nearly 389,000 voters with whom officials are pleading to drop off their ballots in-person, or vote in-person early or on Election Day.
Simon on Thursday encouraged those who still had the ballots to submit them in-person.
When will we see election results?
This election year will be unlike any other.
With so many Americans voting by mail amid the coronavirus pandemic, officials are bracing the public: Election results, in all likelihood, will not be finalized on the night of Nov. 3. Elections offices need time to tally up their final counts, and tallying mailed-in ballots can take longer.
Bracing for a wave of mailed ballots, Minnesota allowed county elections offices to begin opening and tabulating mailed ballots starting two weeks before Nov. 3. That way, they get a head start.
There is no state or federal law requiring election results to be finalized on election night or the following morning. A delay in reporting does not mean an election has been tampered or meddled with.
RELATED: In election video, Govs. Ventura, Pawlenty, Dayton, Walz plead for patience, civility
Forum News Service reporter Dana Ferguson contributed to this report. Contact Sarah Mearhoff at smearhoff@forumcomm.com or 610-790-4992.
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