Elections

Voter Eligibility

To be eligible to vote in St. Cloud, you must meet all of the following requirements:

• Must be a U.S. citizen
• Must be at least 18 years old on election day
• Must have resided in Minnesota for 20 days immediately preceding the election day and be a resident of St. Cloud on the day of the election
• Must have completed any felony conviction or had it discharged
• Must not be under court-ordered guardianship where a court has revoked your voting rights
• Must not have been found legally incompetent

Avoiding Delays

To avoid delays on election day, please prepare by doing the following:

• Preregister - You can minimize your time waiting in line by getting preregistered. To do so you must submit a completed registration application to your county auditor's office. Applications are available online, at City Hall, or from the Stearns, Benton, or Sherburne county Auditors' offices. Taking a minute to complete and submit your application now could save you hours on election day.
• Know where your polling place is located - You will only be allowed to vote at the polling location for the precinct in which you reside. The city of St. Cloud utilizes 28 different polling locations on election day. Find yours here!
• Plan to vote in the late morning or early afternoon - Most polling places see a significant increase in voters during the early morning hours (7 a.m. to 9 a.m.) and again in the evening (6 p.m. to 8 p.m.). To avoid delays, try to go to your polling place during the middle portion of the day. Minnesota Statutes 204C.04 Subdivision 1 states: "Every employee who is eligible to vote in an election has the right to be absent from work for the purpose of voting during the morning of the day of that election, without penalty or deduction from salary or wages because of the absence."
• Bring Proper Documentation - If you fail to preregister, you will need to register at your polling place. Make certain that you have appropriate identification and documentation with you when you arrive at the polls. Check here for a complete list of the authorized proofs of residence. Note that only the documents listed will be accepted by your precinct judges on election day.
• Vote Absentee - Absentee ballots will be available at your county auditor's office. You may vote in person by visiting the auditor's office during regular business hours, or if you prefer you may have the ballot materials sent to you. In addition, each county will offer extended hours to conduct additional absentee voting at their offices on the Saturday immediately preceding the election from 10 am until 3 pm, and again on the Monday before the election until 5 pm. Do not contact the city for these materials. You will need to contact the appropriate county for the precinct in which you reside. The phone numbers are shown below:
  • Stearns County
    Ph: 320-656-3900
  • Benton County
    Ph: 320-968-5000
  • Sherburne County
    Ph: 800-438-0576