Direct balloting for Aug. 9 special and primary elections begin

Brandon Marshall
[MGNonline]

(ABC 6 News) – The absentee direct balloting period for the August 9, 2022 special election and primary election begins Tuesday and will continue through August 8, the last day of early absentee voting.

Direct balloting allows in-person voters to insert their ballots directly into a ballot tabulator at the absentee voting location. Voters also have the option to place their absentee ballot into an envelope to be processed and tabulated later during the direct balloting period.

Vote in person direct balloting
Absentee in person direct balloting takes place August 2 through August 8, at the Government Center at 151 4th Street SE, Rochester, MN, and at the Olmsted County Elections Office at 2122 Campus Dr. SE, Suite 300, Rochester, MN.

  • August 2 through August 5
    • 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • August 6
    • 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • August 8
    • 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Register to vote on Election Day
The 21-day period to register online or by mail for the August 9 primary election and special election has passed. If you are not registered to vote, you can register when you vote absentee in person or at your designated polling location on Election Day.

You can also register Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Olmsted County Elections Office, or Saturday, August 6, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Olmsted County Elections Office or Government Center. Information on what you need to bring can be found on the Minnesota Secretary of State website. Voters must be at least 18 years old on Election Day.

Find your Election Day polling location
If you are registered to vote, a postcard with your polling location information will be sent to your registered address via the U.S. Postal Service. You do not need to bring this postcard to your polling location on Election Day.

If you have not received your postcard, or you are not registered to vote, you can find your polling location on the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website. You can also use the Election District Finder tool to determine your election district, who represents you, and candidate information.

For the latest election updates and further details about voting in Olmsted County and the City of Rochester, including links to online tools, visit the following sites:

Information on everyone who filed for Olmsted County Commissioner District seats, Sheriff, County Attorney, and Soil and Water Supervisor is on the Minnesota Secretary of State website.

Information on everyone who filed for Mayor, City Council, and School Board is on the City of Rochester website.

Information on everyone who filed for U.S. Representative District 1 is on the Minnesota Secretary of State website.