In Minnesota, you can register to vote on Election Day. If you’re voting for the first time in Minnesota, you will have to show an ID to vote if you registered by mail and your ID number could not be verified by the state, or if you are registering to vote on Election Day. Acceptable forms include:

• valid ID with current name and address, which can be expired (e.g. driver’s license, Minnesota ID card, learner’s permit, US passport, student ID from a Minnesota high school, college, or technical school, U.S. military or veteran ID, or a tribal ID card with name, address, photo and signature)
• photo ID and a document with current name and address, which can be shown on an electronic device (e.g. utility bill, bank or credit card statement, mortgage or lease)
• registered voter from your precinct who can confirm your name and address
• college student ID (if a student housing list is provided)

As a university student, you have the choice to vote the local ballot at either your home residence or at your university.

 Remember that you can only vote in one state.

Each state has its own policies around voting.  Know your state’s requirements before heading to the polls

Research shows that if you make a plan to vote, you are more likely to actually vote. So, make a pledge to vote here

Get Informed

Check out these nonpartisan resources from the League of Women Voters.  You can also see how your major is related to election issues at Your Major on the Ballot.

Go to the Minnesota Secretary of State website for more information about voting in Minnesota.. 

Don’t know who is on your ballot.  Check out these resources:

Minnesota Secretary of State Ballot Information

Ballotpedia – Ballot Lookup

VOTE 411 – Personalized Voting Information

Why Should I Vote?

• Exercise your right and responsibility:  The right to vote is a bedrock principle in a democracy and electoral participation is an essential civic duty. While many governments around the world deny citizens the power to elect their leaders, the American system provides one the opportunity to select their political representatives — the sign of democratic legitimacy. 
• Shape the political agenda
  • Are you passionate about a particular political issue? Learn about candidates’ views on the social, economic, and environmental issues that are important to you and use your vote as a call for action. For example, 
    • Student loans, Pell Grants, and work-study are all federal programs. Your vote for the president and congressional representatives means you have a say in how those programs are shaped for years to come. 
    • Your vote for Governor and state representatives will affect state aid to you. 
• Demonstrate concern for the next generation: By voting you are not only doing your part to influence the present, you are also affecting the future. 
• Honor past sacrifice: Voting is a way to honor those who have helped to secure our rights. Military members who have fought for this country, suffrage activists and Civil Rights leaders are only a few examples of those to whom we owe our respect and appreciation. Voting gives you the opportunity to help pay that debt.
• Your vote MATTERS
  • Too often, many students feel that their vote does not matter. But recent elections show that outcomes can be decided by a handful of votes. If you do not vote, your voice is not heard. Moreover, college students have the potential to be a key constituency in every election. With millions of college students eligible to vote, your collective voice can make a significant difference.

Vote. Remember Cardinals Count 

Voting in Person:

Winona on-campus students: On Election Day, you can simply walk up the hill to the Radiant Church, 850 Highway 14, to vote.  Click here for a map to the polling place.

Winona off-campus Students: Where you live in Winona will determine where you vote. In order to vote in Winona (if you have not yet registered), you will need to bring your driver’s license/government issued id, a copy of a bill with your name and your Winona address, or a copy of your lease agreement with your name on it. If you don’t have any of those, you can also have a Minnesota resident (who has already registered) vouch for you at the polls.  Find your polling place here.

Rochester Campus students: Check out the Olmsted County Elections  & Voting for information on polling places.

Minneapolis Campus students: Check out Hennepin County Prepare to Vote for where to vote.

If you are voting in another state, you can find your polling place at Vote.org.