Minnesota Primary Day is August 11, 2026

What is the Primary Election?

A primary election determines which candidates will be on the ballot for the November 2026 general election.

For partisan offices, like a state or U.S. representative or senator, you can only vote for candidates from one political party.  Partisan offices will be clearly marked on your ballot and will usually be on the front of the ballot. One person from each party advances to the November general election.

For nonpartisan offices, like county, city, township and school boards, you can vote for your top choice.  Nonpartisan offices will usually be on the back of the ballot. The nonpartisan candidates with the most votes will be on the November general election ballot.

Important 2026 Primary Dates

• The Primary Election Day is Tuesday, August 11.
• You can vote by mail or in person June 26 through August 10.
• It is a good idea to register in advance by July 21 to make sure you can vote.

What’s on my Primary Ballot?

You can find out what’s on your Primary Ballot by entering your address on this Minnesota Secretary of State Voting Information Portal.

The Star Tribune has a Primary Voting Guide. You can find other voting guides too.

Voting Basics

Here’s what you need to know:

• You must be able to vote in Minnesota. You need to be a U.S. Citizen, at least 18 years old on Election Day, and a resident of Minnesota for at least 20 days. Importantly, you cannot vote if you are currently incarcerated for a felony conviction or under a court order that revokes your right to vote.
• You must be registered to vote. Most Minnesotans are already registered through automatic voter registration when they get a state-issued ID.
  • If you are not registered and eligible to vote, you can register online (with your MN driver’s license or MN ID card number or the last four numbers of your Social Security and an email address).
  • You can also use a paper form to complete, and return to your local elections office or you can register when you vote. Contact local elections office for if you need a disability accommodation to the online, paper, or same day/early voting registration process.
  • If your name or address changes, you’ll need to re-register. You can check to see if you are registered.
• Once you’re registered, you have options on where and how to vote:
  • You can vote at your local polling place where you reside.
  • Polling places must be accessible.
  • You can bring someone to help, ask an election judge, use a ballot marking machine, or vote from your car. Get help voting.
  • Voting instructions must be in different languages.
  • You can vote through the mail with an absentee ballot. It is best to request and return the absentee ballot well in advance of election day. If you need an Accessible Absentee Ballot, first request an absentee ballot online and then contact your local county election office to tell them that you want an accessible ballot.
  • Use an agent to pick up and deliver a ballot for you. To have an agent deliver your ballot, you must live in a nursing home, assisted living facility, residential treatment center, group home, battered women's shelter. You can also have an agent deliver your ballot if you are hospitalized or have difficulty going to the polling place due to incapacitating health reasons or a disability.
  • You can vote at your nursing home or hospital with the assistance of local election officials. If residents of a nursing home or hospital normally live in a different city or town, they can apply for an absentee ballot on their own. Within a week of the election, they may be eligible to have someone pick up and deliver a ballot for them.

Rights and Resources

For people with disabilities, there are laws to make sure you can vote and that your vote counts! Under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Minnesota Law you can ask for disability accommodations with registration, absentee ballots, or other parts of the voting process. The local county election office can help with these requests and, of course, polling places must be physically accessible.

Here are some voting resources:

• Minnesota Secretary Of State - Elections & Voting
• Voting | Minnesota Council on Disability
• MN Absentee & Early Voting: Deadlines, ID & Fixes | MN Lawyer Referral
• Minnesota: Election Tools, Deadlines, Dates, Rules, and Links - Vote.org
• The League of Women Voters Minneapolis
• Voter Access - Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid/MDLC
• Voting Problems? Receive Nonpartisan Help from our Election Protection Hotline - Common Cause Minnesota
• Office of Ombudsman for Long-Term Care / Minnesota Office of Ombudsman for Long-Term Care (OOLTC)