Last night the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit announced its decision to eliminate Minnesota's established seven-day grace period for accepting absentee ballots for next week’s general election. It ruled that all mail-in ballots received after 8 p.m. on Election Day be set aside.
The Minnesota Secretary of State's Office has issued the following guidance:
Next Steps for Voters
Voters should no longer place their absentee ballot in the mail. Instead, voters have several options to ensure their vote is counted in the November general election:
• Voters who have already put their ballot in the mail can track their ballot at http://www.mnvotes.org/track. If their ballot has not yet been received the voter can vote in-person either by absentee, or at their polling place on Election Day.
• Voters can deliver their ballots to their county election office by hand (or have someone they trust hand-deliver it for them).
• Voters can cast their vote in person with an absentee ballot at their local election office up until November 2, 2020.
• Voters can cast their votes in person on Election Day. Use our Pollfinder Tool to find out where to vote.
Links to Additional Information
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit Decision
Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State – Elections & Voting