Minnesota voters still have time today. Polls are open statewide until 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3.
If you are heading out after work or making a last-minute plan, the biggest deadline is simple: be in line before 8 p.m. That final hour matters, especially in busy places like Minneapolis.
Poll hours and the biggest deadline today
The main thing to know is that Minnesota polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. today, Tuesday, November 3. That statewide window is the core Election Day rule voters need to keep in mind before making evening plans.
For Minneapolis voters, Election Day is listed on the city election calendar as the State General Election Day, also set for November 3. The city’s voter information points people to the same 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. schedule, which keeps the message consistent across local and state election guidance.
The practical takeaway is straightforward: do not wait until after 8 p.m. to arrive. In a major city like Minneapolis, where Elections & Voter Services is located at 980 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55414, late-day traffic and lines can easily make timing tighter than expected.
What to know about registration and early voting rules
Minnesota’s early voting period ran from September 18 through November 2, with a closure noted on October 12. That means today is no longer about early voting options. It is about using Election Day procedures before polls close at 8 p.m.
The early registration deadline passed on Tuesday, October 13. The posted times were 5 p.m. for paper registration and 11:59 p.m. for online registration, so anyone who missed those cutoffs had to use another valid voting path.
The city calendar also made clear that if you missed the October 13 deadline, you could still register on Election Day or through the absentee voting process. For many voters, that Election Day flexibility is one of the most important facts to remember on November 3.
Mail ballot deadlines and last-minute voter timing
For absentee and mail voters, the recommended deadline to apply for a ballot was Tuesday, October 27. That date has already passed, so voters who have not already secured a ballot should focus on in-person voting options available today.
The return deadlines for mail ballots are also very specific. Ballots dropped off in person were due by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3, while ballots sent in the mail had to arrive by 8 p.m. on November 3 to count.
That timing creates a clear split on Election Day. If it is already after 5 p.m., in-person ballot drop-off is no longer the option to rely on, and if a mailed ballot will not arrive by 8 p.m., the safer move is to vote at the polls before they close tonight.
