Hey Minnesota!

If you want to vote, you have to be registered. If you’re not sure if you're registered already there’s a link in the description where you can check right now.

If you’re not registered or you need to update your name or address, you can go to the link in the description and register online as long as you have a Minnesota driver’s license or state ID, or the last 4 digits of your social security number. If you don’t have any of those things, or you’d just rather fill out a paper form and mail it in, you can use the printable form in the description. Either way you choose to register, the deadline is October 10th for the November election.

If you miss that deadline though, don’t panic. You can still register at your polling place on election day. You’ll just need to bring some form of photo ID and a proof of residence, like a utility bill, bank statement, or lease with your name and address on it.

If you have a Minnesota driver’s license or tribal ID and the address is current, those count for both forms. Once you’re registered, there are a few different ways you can vote. If you want to vote from the comfort of your own home you can request to vote absentee by mail.

You can use the online or the mail-in application, there are links to both in the description. There’s no official deadline to request your absentee ballot, but the sooner you do it, the more time you have to get your ballot in the mail, fill it out at your own pace, and send it back before November 3rd. There’s also a link below you can use to keep track of your absentee ballot and make sure it gets received and counted.

You can also vote early in person at your county elections office from September 18th to November 2nd during their normal business hours. Some offices stay open for extra weekend and evening hours so check out the link below to find out when and where you can vote early in your county. If you’re going to vote in person on November 3rd, polls are open from 7am to 8pm, and there’s a link below that tells you where you need to go to vote.

Unless you’re registering at the polls on election day you don’t need to bring an ID, though if it’s been 4 years or more since you last voted, they're gonna ask you to show a proof of residence, like a utility bill, lease, bank statement, or a driver’s license with your name and current address on it. Before you go vote, you can look at a sample ballot ahead of time--there’s a link in the description. It’ll tell you everything that you’ll be able to vote for this year’s elections.

You don’t have to vote for everything on the ballot, but if you want a chance to do some research on the candidates in your local elections, it’s a pretty good idea to look at a sample ballot first. You can even fill it out and bring it to the polls with you, so you can be sure you remember how you want to vote. Before you go, if you’re gonna vote—open up your notes app, grab a pen and paper and make a plan.

Write down when and how you’re gonna register, what time you’re gonna vote, how you’re gonna get there, what ID you’re gonna use, if you need one, even who you’re gonna bring to the polls with you. Having a plan is a great way to make sure that nothing unexpected keeps you from voting on November 3rd. There will be links for everything you need to check your registration, vote early and find your polling location in description.

Thanks for being a voter. How To Vote in Every State is produced by Complexly in partnership with The MediaWise Voter Project, which is led by The Poynter Institute and supported by Facebook.