Elected officials make decisions every day on important issues that impact you and the future of our communities, like access to housing and healthcare, education, transportation and neighborhood safety, just to name a few.

The 2023 elections put city offices and school board members on the ballot in communities across our state. Depending on where you live, you may see ballot questions on specific issues, too.

Change starts local. While local elections don’t often receive the same amount of attention as state or national elections, they have the ability to impact our day-to-day lives perhaps more than any other because of their focus on the immediate community (think property taxes, potholes, zoning ordinances and more!).

Your vote is your voice. When you vote, you have a say in electing the people you think will best represent you and the issues you care about.

Here are some resources to help you prepare to vote:

Register to Vote

In Minnesota, you can register to vote at the polls, online or by mail. You can register to vote even if you are experiencing homelessness.

As of June 1, 2023, you can vote even if you are on parole or probation. Having a criminal record does not affect your right to vote in Minnesota unless you are currently incarcerated for a felony conviction.

– Are you eligible to vote?
– Are you registered to vote, or do you need to update your registration information?
– Register to vote online, by mail, or on election day.

Vote!

You can vote early with an absentee ballot (starting 46 days before Election Day), or you can vote in person at the polls. You can vote even if you are experiencing homelessness by using the location of where you sleep as your address.

– Find your polling place.
– Vote early (absentee) by mail or in person.
– Learn how to vote while experiencing homelessness.

Be Informed

Find out who is on your ballot ahead of time and do some research on your candidates to decide who you want to vote for.

– Practice voting with a sample ballot.
– Check out our Candidate Conversation Guide for sample questions you can ask to learn more about their positions.
– Visit the Secretary of State’s website for all the current elections and voting information.

For questions or to learn more about Catholic Charities’ nonpartisan voter outreach, contact Lorna Schmidt, Director of Public Policy & Advocacy, at lorna.schmidt@cctwincities.org.