Voter Registration

Already Registered?

Not Registered?

  • Pre-register to vote online
     (Early registration [20 days prior] will help to avoid long lines at the polls)
  • Register in person at Burnsville City Hall, 100 Civic Center Parkway or mail an application to Dakota County Administration Center, 1590 Highway 55, Hastings MN 55033-2343. Phone - 651-438-4313

You are eligible to vote in Minnesota if you are:

  • At least 18 years or older
  • A citizen of the United States
  • A resident of Minnesota for 20 days immediately preceding Election Day
  • Not under court-ordered guardianship in which the court order revokes the person's right to vote
  • Have your felony sentence expired (been completed) or been discharged from your sentence

You are not eligible to vote in Minnesota if you are:

  • A convicted felon whose civil rights have not been restored
  • Under the guardianship of another person
  • Found by a court of law to be legally incompetent

Registration Requirements

Registration Deadlines

Pre-registration applications must completed prior to 21 days before any election. If you are unable to register by the deadline, you will need to register at your polling location.

Any voter who sends in a voter registration card which is received after the above pre-registration cutoff dates will be sent a "Notice of Ineffective/Late Registration" letter. The "Notice of Ineffective/Late Registration" letter can be used as proof of residency when registering to vote on Election Day at the polling location.

Cancelled Registrations

A voter registration is canceled for the following reasons:

  • The voter has been convicted of a felony without having his or her civil rights restored
  • The voter is under guardianship of another person
  • The voter has been found by a court to be legally incompetent to vote
  • The voter is not a citizen of the United States
  • The voter has not voted for more than four years

Postal Verification Card

Upon receiving a voter registration application properly completed and submitted, the County Treasurer-Auditor will enter the information into the statewide voter registration system. A postal verification card will be mailed to you verifying your name, residential address, precinct, polling location and voting districts.

Election Day Registration Information

In Minnesota you may register to vote on Election Day. You will need to bring one of the following proofs of residence to register at the polling place:

  • A Minnesota driver's license, learner's permit, or Minnesota identification card with your current address.
  • A previous registration in the same precinct under a different address or a different name.
  • A "Notice of Ineffective/Late Registration" -- If you have attempted to register in advance but for some reason your registration was rejected, you receive this official notice from the County Treasurer-Auditor.
  • Someone who is registered in your same precinct and who knows you reside in the precinct, may accompany you to the polls and vouch for you.
  • A combination of a picture ID and a current utility bill (gas, electric, cable TV, water, solid waste, sewer, internet provider services or rent statement with itemized utilities) can be used. The utility bill must show the voter's name and current address in the precinct and must not be over 30 days old. Telephone, television or internet services bill acceptable regardless of how they are delivered (i.e. cell, VOIP, cable, satellite, etc.) The photo ID establishes the voter's identity.
  • Tribal ID's issued by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of Interior. If ID contains voter's name, current address, signature and picture, it can be used alone. If ID contains the name, signature and picture, then it can be used along with a current utility bill.

College Students

The above proofs of residency also apply for college students as well as:

  • A current valid student identification card from a post-secondary educational institution in Minnesota, if a list of students from that institution has been prepared and certified to the County Treasurer-Auditor in the manner provided in rules of the Secretary of State.
  • A current student fee statement that contains the student's valid address in the precinct together with a picture identification card.