Minnesota Independence Party Candidates
Voting Information
The 2010 General election will take place on November 2, 2010. Most polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m (though some in rural areas do not open until 10:00am). You need to bring proof of residence with you if you are not already registered, and you need to go to the correct polling place - you can only vote at
your local polling place. Details on registration are available from the
Secretary of State's Office, but registration itself is actually handled through your local elections offcial, usually the county auditor. Contact information for your specific jurisdiction is also available from the
Secretary of State.
You can find your polling place, and see your ballot (click on "Click here for a list of candidates"), by going to the Secretary of State's Pollfinder system,
http://pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us/
Preparing to Vote
It is legal, and I think very smart, to print out the sample ballot available in your local newspaper or on the
Pollfinder Website (Click on "Click Here for a List of Candidates") Then go through it, research the candidates in the races you plan to vote on (remember, in the general election, you can vote for as many parties you want - you don't have to vote a "straight ticket"), and choose who you'll vote for. You can mark it on the sample ballot, and legally bring this marked ballot (or other notes) with you into the polling place - you don't have to try to memorize anything! [What you are
not allowed to do is display campaign materials, like flyers, brochures, or even buttons and t-shirts, in or near a polling place - so take off your IP gear before heading to the polls!]
I believe the best source of first-hand information about the candidates in the major races is
MPR's Midday program. As the election nears, debates or speeches from the candidates themselves appear on this program, and allow you to hear at length from the candidates themselves. In more obscure races (like lower-profile state legislative races), or if you just prefer to read your information, the League of Women Voters often offers the best and most readily accessed information, through their
Voter Guide system: tell it where you live, then click on the Candidate Info tab. For more information on informed down-ballot voting, please see
this article.
Eligibility and Registration
If you've been a Minnesota resident for 20 days, you are eligible to vote in a Minnesota election if you meet the other criteria, such as age and citizenship requirements. You can register to vote at the polls by providing proper proof of residence, including a MN driver's license or state ID card with your current address, a photo ID with a bill that has your current address, or a neighbor who is also registered to vote in that precinct who can vouch for you. For details about which IDs and which bills are allowed, as well as other options, please go to
the Secretary of State's website.
Voting in advance of election day is getting a lot of press this year, but in Minnesota it's legally only an option
if you can't make it to the polls on election day, for example, if you will be away from home. It can't be because you can't get out of work, because you can:
Minnesota law requires all employers allow their employees time off to go and vote.
Questions / Additional Information
If you have voting questions, or suggestions for improving this information, please do not hesitate to contact me to ask about it! I struggled through figuring out most of these things myself, as a new voter, and my hope here is to help save you some of the same effort - but there will always be room for clarifications and improvements!
Rob Rossi
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