2022
Minnesota
Absentee Voting
Administration Guide
Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State
180 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55155
Phone: (651) 215-1440
Toll Free: 1-877-600-8683
Minnesota Relay Service: 1-800-627-3529
Email: elections.dept@state.mn.us
Website: http://www.sos.state.mn.us
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................................................................... 3
1.0 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 7
2.0 ABSENTEE ADMINISTRATION CALENDAR ............................................................................................... 7
3.0 PREPARING TO ADMINISTER ABSENTEE VOTING ................................................................................. 11
3.1 WHO – ADMINISTERS ABSENTEE VOTING ........................................................................................ 11
3.1.1 COUNTY, STATE & FEDERAL ELECTIONS .................................................................................... 11
3.1.2 MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS AND SCHOOLS ELECTIONS ................................................................... 11
3.1.3 LOCAL SPECIAL ELECTIONS HELD ON THE SAME DAY ............................................................... 11
3.2 WHERE – ABSENTEE VOTING LOCATIONS ........................................................................................ 12
3.3 WHAT – MATERIALS NEEDED ........................................................................................................... 12
3.3.1 BALLOTS AND RELATED MATERIALS.......................................................................................... 12
3.3.2 ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPLIES ....................................................................................................... 14
3.4 WHEN – ABSENTEE VOTING PERIOD ................................................................................................ 15
3.4.1 HOURS FOR ABSENTEE VOTING ................................................................................................ 15
4.0 PRE-AB PERIOD ADMINISTRATION ....................................................................................................... 17
4.1 MAIL ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATIONS TO PERMANENT AB VOTERS ............................................ 17
4.1.1 GENERATING MAILING LABELS FOR PERMANENT AB VOTERS ................................................. 17
4.1.2 OBTAINING PERMANENT ABSENTEE STATUS ........................................................................... 17
4.2 ESTABLISH AN ABSENTEE BALLOT BOARD ........................................................................................ 17
4.2.1 BALLOT BOARD MAKEUP ........................................................................................................... 18
4.3 PROVIDE SAMPLE BALLOTS .............................................................................................................. 18
4.4 PLAN FOR ABSENTEE OUTREACH TO HEALTH CARE FACILITIES ....................................................... 19
4.5 PREPARE FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS ............................................................................. 19
4.6 ARRANGE FOR STORAGE AND RETENTION ...................................................................................... 19
5.0 ISSUANCE OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS ........................................................................................................ 21
5.1 SUBMITTING A REGULAR ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATION ............................................................ 21
5.2 SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES ............................................................................................................... 21
5.2.1 ONLINE ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATIONS ............................................................................... 21
5.2.2 ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATIONS MISSING ELECTIONS REQUESTED ...................................... 21
5.2.3 ABSENTEE REQUESTS FROM STATE ADULT CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES ................................... 22
5.2.4 ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATIONS AND POWER OF ATTORNEY ............................................... 22
5.2.5 ABSENTEE REQUESTS WITHOUT ABSENTEE
BALLOT APPLICATION FORM ............................... 22
5.3 KEYS TO ISSUING AN ABSENTEE BALLOT .......................................................................................... 22
5.3.1 REGISTRATION CHECK ............................................................................................................... 23
5.3.2 RECORDING INFORMATION ON APPLICATION FORM AND SIGNATURE ENVELOPE ................. 24
5.3.3 BALLOT AND BALLOT MATERIALS REVIEW ................................................................................ 25
5.4 ISSUING IN-PERSON ABSENTEES ...................................................................................................... 25
5.4.1 ABSENTEE VOTING WITHOUT ENVELOPE OR “DIRECT BALLOTING” ........................................ 25
5.5 ISSUING ABSENTEE BALLOTS BY MAIL .............................................................................................. 26
5.6 ISSUING ABSENTEE BALLOTS WHEN SVRS IS UNAVAILABLE ............................................................ 26
6.0 HOSPITAL PATIENTS AND RESIDENTS OF HEALTH CARE FACILITIES ..................................................... 27
6.1 OUTREACH TO HEALTH CARE FACILITIES .......................................................................................... 27
6.1.1 “HEALTH CARE FACILITIES” DEFINED ......................................................................................... 27
6.1.2 BASIC REQUIREMENTS .............................................................................................................. 27
6.1.3 HCF ELECTION JUDGE TRAINING ............................................................................................... 27
6.1.4 20-DAY HCF OUTREACH ............................................................................................................ 28
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6.1.5 ELECTION DAY HCF OUTREACH ................................................................................................. 28
6.2 AGENT PICK-UP AND RETURN .......................................................................................................... 28
6.2.1 QUALIFICATIONS AND CONDITIONS ......................................................................................... 28
6.2.2 APPLICATION PROCESS AND ISSUING THE BALLOT ................................................................... 28
7.0 UOCAVA VOTERS ................................................................................................................................... 31
7.1 CLASSIFICATIONS .............................................................................................................................. 31
7.1.1 MILITARY VOTERS AND VOTERS TEMPORARILY OUTSIDE THE U.S. .......................................... 31
7.1.2 VOTERS INDEFINITELY (PERMANENTLY) OUTSIDE THE U.S. ...................................................... 31
7.2 THE APPLICATION PROCESS .............................................................................................................. 32
7.2.1 APPLICATION BASICS ................................................................................................................. 32
7.2.2 COMPLETING THE FPCA ............................................................................................................ 32
7.3 RECEIVING UOCAVA APPLICATIONS ................................................................................................. 33
7.3.1 RECORDING APPLICATIONS IN SVRS ......................................................................................... 33
7.3.2 REJECTING AN APPLICATION ..................................................................................................... 34
7.3.3 UOCAVA APPLICATIONS WITH NON-MATCHING PRECINCTS ................................................... 34
7.4 FILLING THE BALLOT REQUEST ......................................................................................................... 35
7.4.1 MAIL .......................................................................................................................................... 35
7.4.2 ELECTRONICALLY ....................................................................................................................... 35
7.5 VOTING AND RETURN MAILING PROCESSES .................................................................................... 35
7.6 FEDERAL WRITE-IN ABSENTEE BALLOT ............................................................................................. 35
7.6.1 FWAB SCENARIO 1 ..................................................................................................................... 36
7.6.2 FWAB SCENARIO 2 ..................................................................................................................... 36
7.6.3 FWAB PROCESSING ................................................................................................................... 36
8.0 SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES ..................................................................................................................... 37
8.1 VOTERS IN THE SAFE AT HOME PROGRAM ...................................................................................... 37
8.2 PRESIDENTIAL-ONLY VOTERS ........................................................................................................... 37
9.0 RETURN OF VOTED ABSENTEE BALLOTS ............................................................................................... 39
9.1 RETURN OPTIONS ............................................................................................................................. 39
9.1.1 MAIL OR PACKAGE DELIVERY SERVICE ...................................................................................... 39
9.1.2 IN-PERSON ................................................................................................................................. 39
9.1.3 AGENT R
ETURN ......................................................................................................................... 39
9.1.4 DROP BOXES .............................................................................................................................. 40
9.2 ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES ....................................................................................................... 40
10.0 ABSENTEE BALLOT BOARD DUTIES: ENVELOPE REVIEW .................................................................... 43
10.1 REGULAR ABSENTEE BALLOT BOARD ............................................................................................. 43
10.2 UOCAVA ABSENTEE BALLOT BOARD .............................................................................................. 44
10.3 BALLOT BOARD “CHALLENGERS”.................................................................................................... 44
11.0 REPLACEMENT ABSENTEE BALLOTS .................................................................................................... 45
11.1 BALLOT REJECTED BY AB BOARD .................................................................................................... 45
11.2 VOTER REQUEST ............................................................................................................................. 45
11.3 OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ................................................................................................................ 45
12.0 VOTER REGISTRATION CHANGES FOR ABSENTEE VOTERS ................................................................. 47
12.1 PROCESS WHEN ABSENTEE VOTER BECOMES DECEASED .............................................................. 47
12.2 PROCESS WHEN COA ACTIVITY AFFECTS ABSENTEE VOTERS ......................................................... 47
12.2.1 PROCESSING STEPS .................................................................................................................. 48
13.0 ABSENTEE BALLOT BOARD DUTIES: ENVELOPE PROCESSING ............................................................. 49
13.1 RECORD OF VOTING ABSENTEE: MARKING ROSTERS AND CREATING REPORT ............................. 49
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13.1.1 WHEN SVRS ABSENTEE BALLOT MODULE IS NOT USED ......................................................... 49
13.1.2 WHEN SVRS ABSENTEE BALLOT MODULE IS USED ................................................................. 49
13.2 OPENING OF ENVELOPES AND STORAGE ....................................................................................... 50
13.2.1 DUPLICATING BALLOTS............................................................................................................ 50
13.2.2 PROCESSING A FEDERAL WRITE-IN ABSENTEE BALLOT ........................................................... 51
13.2.3 SAFE AT HOME (SAH) BALLOT PROCESSING ............................................................................ 51
14.0 ABSENTEE BALLOT BOARD DUTIES: CLOSE OF POLLS ......................................................................... 53
14.1 STATE ELECTIONS ........................................................................................................................... 53
14.2 OTHER ELECTIONS .......................................................................................................................... 53
14.3 COMPLETING WORK ....................................................................................................................... 54
15.0 POST-ELECTION DUTIES ...................................................................................................................... 55
15.1 RECORD RETENTION ....................................................................................................................... 55
15.2 ABSENTEE VOTING HISTORY ........................................................................................................... 55
15.2.1 PROCESSING ROSTERS ............................................................................................................. 55
15.3 REJECTED OR LATE ABSENTEE BALLOTS ......................................................................................... 55
15.3.1 NOTICES OF REJECTION ........................................................................................................... 56
15.4 UOCAVA SPECIFIC ........................................................................................................................... 56
15.4.1 UOCAVA PRECINCT RECORD ................................................................................................... 56
15.4.2 STATISTICS REPORTING ........................................................................................................... 56
APPENDIX A - SAMPLE FORMS .................................................................................................................... 57
ABSENTEE BALLOT BOARD RESOLUTION ................................................................................................ 57
ABSENTEE BALLOT AGENT RETURN LOG ................................................................................................ 59
AGENT DELIVERY REQUEST FORM.......................................................................................................... 61
RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES EMPLOYEES LIST .............................................................................................. 63
DIRECT BALLOTING VOTER’S CERTIFICATE ............................................................................................. 65
APPENDIX B - HEALTH CARE FACILITY OUTREACH ...................................................................................... 67
PREPARING FOR HCF OUTREACH ........................................................................................................... 67
VOTER REGISTRATION ........................................................................................................................ 67
LIST OF EMPLOYEES ............................................................................................................................ 67
ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATIONS ..................................................................................................... 67
SUPPLIES ............................................................................................................................................. 67
EL
ECTION JUDGE RESPONSIBILITIES ....................................................................................................... 67
DELIVER MATERIALS TO HCF .............................................................................................................. 67
VERIFY RESIDENT’S VOTER REGISTRATION STATUS ........................................................................... 68
ASSIST IN THE COMPLETION OF VRAS ................................................................................................ 68
PROVIDE VOTER ASSISTANCE AS REQUESTED ................................................................................... 69
ENSURE PROPER COMPLETION OF SIGNATURE ENVELOPE ............................................................... 70
APPENDIX C – ABSENTEE BALLOT BOARD GUIDELINES .............................................................................. 71
BALLOT BOARD RECOMMENDED GUIDELINES FOR ACCEPTING/REJECTING BALLOTS ......................... 71
VOTER SECTION .................................................................................................................................. 71
WITNESS SECTION .............................................................................................................................. 71
VOTER REGISTRATION STATUS ........................................................................................................... 73
BALLOT ALREADY CAST ....................................................................................................................... 73
VOTER HAS DIED ................................................................................................................................. 73
ACCEPTED ABSENTEE BALLOT ENVELOPE EXAMPLES ............................................................................ 75
REJECTED ABSENTEE BALLOT ENVELOPE EXAMPLES ............................................................................. 81
SAMPLE NOTICE OF BALLOT REJECTION AND REPLACEMENT SAMPLE ................................................. 89
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APPENDIX D - LISTS, CHECKLISTS AND OTHER SAMPLES ............................................................................ 91
STATE ADULT CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES LIST ....................................................................................... 91
SAMPLE IN-PERSON ABSENTEE BALLOT ISSUANCE (WITH ENVELOPES) ................................................ 93
REGISTERED VOTER ............................................................................................................................ 93
NON-REGISTERED VOTER ................................................................................................................... 93
AGENT PICK-UP AND RETURN PROCESS ................................................................................................. 95
SAMPLE DIRECT BALLOTING (ABSENTEE VOTING WITHOUT ENVELOPE) PROCESS ............................... 97
VOTING PROCESS ............................................................................................................................... 97
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS ................................................................................................................ 97
T
ECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR USING SVRS ABSENTEE BALLOT MODULE ........................................ 99
SVRS ABSENTEE REPORTS ..................................................................................................................... 101
ABSENTEE ELECTION DAY REGISTRANTS FOR POLLING PLACE ........................................................ 101
ROSTER SUPPLEMENT: ACCEPTED ABSENTEE BALLOTS FOR REGISTERED VOTERS ......................... 101
ROSTER SUPPLEMENT: ACCEPTED ABSENTEE BALLOTS FOR ELECTION DAY REGISTRANTS ............ 102
ABSENTEE ELECTION DAY REGISTRANTS ROSTER ............................................................................ 102
ABSENTEE ELECTION DAY REGISTRANTS ROSTER TEMPLATE .............................................................. 103
ABSENTEE AND MAIL BALLOT POST-STATE GENERAL ELECTION SVRS CHECKLIST .............................. 104
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1.0 INTRODUCTION
This guide is designed to aid election officials in the administration of absentee voting. Citations in this
guide refer to the Minnesota election laws (M.S. citations) or rules (M.R. citations). Full text of the
Minnesota election laws and rules can be found at the Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes
(https://www.revisor.mn.gov/).
For a more comprehensive view of election administration in Minnesota, refer to the County Auditor
and various Clerk Election Guides. Current editions are available at the Office of the Minnesota Secretary
of State Election Guides
webpage (http://www.sos.state.mn.us/election-administration-
campaigns/election-administration/election-guides/).
2.0 ABSENTEE ADMINISTRATION CALENDAR
An abbreviated election calendar focused on absentee (AB) administration tasks is provided in this
guide. Complete and detailed calendars of all election-related tasks are available at the Office of the
Minnesota Secretary of State Election Calendars
webpage for the current year.
(http://www.sos.state.mn.us/election-administration-campaigns/election-administration/election-
calendars/).
Dates should be calculated in the following manner, pursuant to M.S. 331A.08, subds. 1-2, 645.13-.15
and 645.151: When counting the number of days before an election or other event, the day before the
event is the first day counted. When determining the days after the event, start counting from the day
after the event. If the day falls on a weekend or legal holiday, that day is usually omitted from the
computation.
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Table 1 Absentee Election Administration Calendar
Days (in relation
to Election Day)
Action
Reference
-98 (-14 weeks)
Last day to designate absentee voting locations
M.S. 203B.081
-60 (45 for some
twp and special
elections)
Last day to mail absentee application form to voters on the
permanent absentee list
M.S. 203B.04, subd. 5;
203B.06, subd. 1; M.R.
8210.0200, subp. 4
In advance of
start of absentee
voting
Save Master List to PC hard drive for use if SVRS unavailable
Recommended best
practice
In advance of
start of absentee
voting
Establish ballot board (for regular absentees & UOCAVA
absentees)
Ballot board members must be adequately trained in absentee
voting procedures.
M.S. 203B.121, subd. 1;
203B.23, subd. 1
-46 (30 for March
twp elections)
1. Last day to begin absentee voting
2. All UOCAVA absentee ballots must be transmitted
M.S. 203B.05, subd. 2;
203B.085; 204B.35
-20
Health Care Facility Outreach begins
M.S. 203B.11, subd. 21
-7
After close of business, absentee ballot processing can begin.
M.S. 203B.121, subds. 3-
4
-7
1. ‘Direct balloting’ is available to absentee voters if approved by
the auditor/clerk
2. Agent Delivery of absentee ballots begins
3. After close of business, absentee ballot processing can begin.
M.S. 203B.081, subd. 3;
M.S. 203B.11, subd. 4;
M.S. 203B.121, subds. 3-
4
Saturday Before
Election
Auditor’s/municipal clerk’s office must be open for absentee
voting from 10am to 3pm. (10am to Noon for March townships.)
M.S. 203B.085
-1
1. Last day to apply for an absentee ballot
2. Auditor/municipal clerk’s office must be open until 5 p.m. for
absentee voting
M.S. 203B.04, subd. 1;
203B.085
Election Day
Voter themselves or agents may return absentee ballots to
absentee voting location until 3pm. Ballots returned by U.S. mail
or package delivery service must arrive by 8 p.m.
If absentee ballot drop boxes are being used, follow new
language found in M.S. 203B.08, subds. 1 & 3 and new statute
M.S. 203B.082
M.S. 203B.08; 203B.082
+42
Auditor post history for those that voted in election, including by
absentee ballot. Post history for voters with late/rejected
absentee ballot as well.
M.S. 201.171
+42-70
Last day for official in charge of ballot board to mail notice of
absentee ballot reject to all regular absentee voters whose
ballots were rejected and who did not otherwise vote in the
election
M.S. 203B.121, subd. 2
(d)
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3.0 PREPARING TO ADMINISTER ABSENTEE VOTING
State law provides that voters can vote early by absentee ballot at any election. There are two separate
absentee voting processes:
• the Minnesota process (i.e., regular), found under M.S. 203B.04 to M.S. 203B.15; and
• the process for military and overseas voters (those covered by UOCAVA – the Uniformed and
Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act) found under M.S. 203B.16 to M.S. 203B.27
.
The jurisdiction responsible for administration of the Minnesota process varies depending upon the type
of election held. The county auditor administers UOCAVA voting for elections of all types.
3.1 WHO – ADMINISTERS ABSENTEE VOTING
3.1.1 County, State & Federal Elections
The county auditor administers regular absentee voting and UOCAVA absentee voting for county, state,
and federal elections. In advance of these county/state/federal elections, an auditor may designate a
full-time municipal clerk to administer regular absentee voting and the related provisions.
Alternatively, if the auditor has not designated them, a full-time clerk may notify the auditor of their
(the municipality’s) intent to administer regular absentee voting. When a city is in more than one
county, a clerk must be designated by each county’s auditor to administer absentees or give notice to
each auditor of their intent to administer.
Designation or Notice Requirements:
• The designation given by the county, or the notification provided by the municipality must specify
whether the clerk will be responsible for the administration of a ballot board.
• A municipality must have the technical capacity to access the statewide voter registration system (SVRS).
SVRS technical requirements are provided in Appendix D.
• Before using SVRS, a municipality must receive SVRS training provided or approved by the OSS.
Once designations are in place, the county auditor must notify the OSS. Notification to OSS is provided
by entering the information into the city or town’s municipal profile in SVRS.
(M.S. 203B.05, subd. 1)
3.1.2 Municipal Elections and Schools Elections
When a city, town, or school district election occurs on a day other than a state election day, the clerk of
that jurisdiction is responsible for all absentee administration, except for UOCAVA absentees.
(M.S.
203B.05, subd. 2)
The municipality or school district may choose to delegate all absentee voting administration to the
county auditor. Minnesota statutes do not provide for a municipal clerk to administer a standalone
school district election on behalf of a school district. The county can accept or decline the delegation
request. If the auditor agrees to administer absentee voting for the municipality or the school, the city,
town, or school district holding the election pays the administration costs incurred.
Note: When a county accepts the delegation and the district/municipality is in multiple counties, the county
can request the set-up of an SVRS delegation, which will enable them to administer absentees for the entire
jurisdiction within SVRS.
3.1.3 Local Special Elections held on the Same Day
County, municipal, and school district special elections must be held on one of five uniform election
dates. Therefore, it is possible that overlapping jurisdictions will hold special elections on the same date.
(M.S. 205.10, subd. 3a; 205A.05, subd. 1a; 375.101)
If this occurs, Minnesota law provides that voters must not be required to go to more than one location
to cast a ballot, including an absentee ballot. An election hierarchy comes into play. This hierarchy
mirrors the order in which offices appear on the state general ballot: first County, second Municipal, and
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third School District. The jurisdiction with the highest ranking administers the election for voters that
reside in both jurisdictions. There is one ballot, which includes each jurisdiction’s contest(s). For
example, if a city and school district are conducting special elections on the same day, and they each
include some of the same precincts, the city administers the election (including absentee voting) for
residents of both the city and the school district. (It is the city’s ballot but also includes school items.)
The school clerk administers absentee voting for all school voters who do not also reside in that city.
3.2 WHERE – ABSENTEE VOTING LOCATIONS
For all county/state/federal elections, absentee voting takes place in the office of the county auditor, or
– if the municipal clerk has been designated to administer ABs– in the office of the municipal clerk. For
local standalone elections, absentee voting takes place in the office of the city, town, or school clerk.
The auditor or clerk may also designate additional locations for absentee voting. The designation of
absentee voting locations must be done at least 14 weeks before the election at which the location will
be used. When determining whether additional absentee voting locations are needed, some points you
may wish to consider are:
• the geographic location of the auditor or clerk’s office – how far will voters be required to travel
to reach it
• the accessibility of the office itself – availability of parking, ease of locating the office within the
building, are visitor passes needed
Absentee voting locations are also polling places. This means that the same campaigning prohibitions
that apply to precinct polling places on election day apply to absentee voting locations through the
absentee period.
(M.S. 211B.11)
3.3 WHAT – MATERIALS NEEDED
3.3.1 Ballots and Related Materials
An adequate supply of the following materials is necessary to issue absentees:
• ballots
• pens (for marking the ballot)
• regular absentee ballot application forms
• request for agent delivery of absentee ballot forms
• UOCAVA application forms (Federal Post Card Applications)
• instructions
o for registered voters
o for unregistered voters
o for UOCAVA voters (county administrators only)
• voter registration applications (which include the voucher form)
• envelopes
o transmittal (mailing) envelopes
for regular AB voters
for UOCAVA voters (county administrators only)
o signature envelopes
for registered voters
for unregistered voters
for UOCAVA voters (county administrators only)
for agent delivery (for both registered and unregistered voters)
o ballot secrecy envelopes
o return envelopes
for registered voters
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for unregistered voters
for UOCAVA voters (county administrators only)
Further, each absentee voting location must have a voting booth(s) available for voters to use. Absentee
voting locations must also be equipped with at least one electronic ballot marker (e.g., assistive voting
device such as the AutoMARK, ImageCast Evolution or Verity TouchWriter). There is only one exception
to this assistive voting device requirement: Townships with than 500 registered voters, which hold their
regular elections in March, are not required to have an assistive voting device available at the March
elections. No other jurisdictions are exempt.
(M.S. 203B.081; M.S. 206.57, subd 5a)
Use experience in similar elections as well as feedback from county and/or municipal election
administrators to estimate the number of anticipated absentee voters and the quantities of materials
needed. Remember to adjust for health care facilities within the jurisdiction and for municipal growth.
Some counties have a formula for this process.
3.3.1.1 Form of Application, Instructions, and Envelopes
The application forms, instructions and envelopes used for the absentee voting process have a set form
and required content. By January 1 of each even-numbered year, the OSS provides county auditors with
the format of the regular absentee ballot application form. The auditor, municipal clerk, or school clerk
prepares absentee ballot application forms in the format provided by the OSS. The regular absentee
ballot application form, including forms in languages other than English, are available on the
Vote Early
By Mail webpage (http://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/other-ways-to-vote/vote-early-by-
mail/). The federal government specifies the form of the UOCAVA application - the Federal Post Card
Application.
(M.S. 203B.04, subd. 1)
Minnesota Rules set the form and content of the absentee instructions and envelopes. Absentee voting
instructions conforming to these requirements are available on the OSS webpage
Absentee/Mail Ballot
Instructions (http://www.sos.state.mn.us/election-administration-campaigns/election-
administration/absenteemail-ballot-instructions/). At partisan primary elections, additional instructions
must be provided to absentee voters. The instructions must state:
The top part of this ballot is for a partisan (party) primary:
• Vote only for candidates of one party – stay in one column.
• If you voted for candidates of more than one party, your votes in that
section of the ballot will not be counted
For how to correct a mistake, see the back of the absentee ballot instructions.
Transmittal, signature, secrecy and return sample envelopes that conform to Minnesota Rules
requirements are available on the OSS website (http://www.sos.state.mn.us/election-administration-
campaigns/election-administration/sample-absenteemail-ballot-envelopes/).
First class postage must be provided on return envelopes for regular absentee ballots sent within the
U.S. UOCAVA return envelopes to be returned from the following locations should be imprinted with
postage paid by the federal government: APO or FPO addresses, overseas military bases, and embassies.
To save time later, you may wish to pre-print transmittal envelopes with the necessary postage prior to
the start of the absentee voting period.
(M.S. 203B.07; M.R. 8210.0300-.0600; 8210.0710-0720; 8210.0800)
Materials (envelopes and instructions) should not contain the name of any candidate whose name
appears on the ballot. For example, if the county auditor or municipal clerk is running for election, their
name should not appear on any of the materials sent out to absentee voters.
(M.S. 203B.06, subd. 8)
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3.3.2 Administrative Supplies
The following administrative materials are also necessary to issue absentees:
• master list of registered voters in the jurisdiction
• precinct finder – to precinct nonregistered absentee voters
• agent return record – to log the individuals other than the voter themselves who return ballots
• incident log – as with the precinct polling place log, to make note of any occurrences in the absentee
voting location
• management methodology such as a spreadsheet (if SVRS will not be used)
3.3.2.1 Absentee Voting Management Methods
The Absentee Ballot (AB) module of SVRS must be used for state elections. “State elections” include the
state primary and state general election held in even numbered years, any special elections for state,
judicial, or federal offices, as well as the presidential nomination primary.
(M.S. 203B.065)
The SVRS AB module may be used for standalone local elections at the discretion of the county auditor
or designated municipality. ‘Local elections’ include township elections held in March, municipal, and
school district primary and general elections held in August and November of odd numbered years, and
county level, municipal level, or school district level special elections not held in conjunction with state
elections.
At elections where SVRS-use is optional, benefits to using the system to administer absentees include:
• The Voter Information Portal’s (VIP) Absentee/Mail Ballot Status lookup tool
(https://mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us/AbsenteeBallotStatus.aspx) which enables voters to check the
status of their absentee ballot. (As administrators complete steps in SVRS – entering the app,
sending the ballot, receiving the voted ballot and accepting/rejecting the envelope – this information
is available to the voter through the web tool).
• Rather than administrators having to hand write the required information onto application forms
and signature envelopes, system-generated labels can be applied
• Availability of the Accepted Absentee / Mail Ballot List report to fill any public information requests
received (see section 4.5 below for further information).
• Absentee ballots marked “accepted” prior to printing are automatically marked on precinct rosters.
• Ability to use the “Apply Accepted AB-MB History” button during voter history posting to quickly
apply accepted absentee ballot history to precinct rosters.
If SVRS will not be used to administer absentee voting, administrators should consider employing an
alternate tool to assist with managing the flow of absentee ballots. The “official use only” section of the
absentee ballot application is used to track the date the application was received, the date the ballot
was issued, and the issuer, how the ballot was issued (mail, counter, health care facility), and the
materials (registered or non-registered) that were provided. Administrators may find it helpful to track
the following data (by voter) in a spreadsheet as voted ballots are returned:
• Date received
• Date accepted/rejected by ballot board
• (if rejected) Rejected Reason
• (if needed) Ballot Replacement Reason
• Replacement Sent Date
Recording this data will enable administrators to easily determine counts of accepted ballots, quickly
answer voter questions regarding their ballot, and easily fill a public information request for a list of
accepted absentee ballots for the election.
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3.4 WHEN – ABSENTEE VOTING PERIOD
All elections (including local special elections) have a 46-day absentee voting period. The one exception
is March town elections. Town elections held in March have a 30-day absentee voting period. Provide
ballots to voters beginning at least 46 (or 30 for March towns) days before the election.
(M.S. 203B.081)
Without exception, absentee voting must begin as scheduled. Even if the ballot vendor is late in
providing the ballots, voters must be allowed to vote. Accommodate voters using unofficial ballots.
Unofficial ballots are printed or written as nearly as practicable in the form of the official ballots. These
ballots may be used until the official ballots are available.
(M.S. 203B.06, subd. 3a; 204B.35)
3.4.1 Hours for Absentee Voting
Absentee voting should be available during the office’s regular business hours throughout the absentee
period. There is not a Minnesota Statutes or Rules requirement to post or publish the office’s absentee
voting hours. However, many offices will do so to better serve the public and minimize questions.
Additional minimum extended hours are required for certain jurisdictions:
• Saturday before election: Counties and municipalities must be open from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
o EXCEPTION: March township election. Clerk’s office must be open from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00
noon. (If the county is administering absentees for the March town election, the county must
remain open until 3:00 p.m.)
• Day immediately before election day: Counties and municipalities must remain open until 5:00 p.m.
o EXCEPTION: If ‘day immediately before’ is a Saturday or Sunday, counties and municipalities do
not need to be open until 5:00 p.m.
School district clerks, when administering absentee voting for a standalone election, are exempt from all
extended hours requirements. However, if the county agrees to conduct absentee voting for a
standalone school election, the county must be open on the Saturday and Monday prior to the election
for absentee voting even though the school district is not required to be open.
(M.S. 203B.05, subd. 2;
203B.081; 203B.085; 204B.35, subd. 4)
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4.0 PRE-AB PERIOD ADMINISTRATION
In advance of the absentee voting period, there are several tasks to complete.
4.1 MAIL ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATIONS TO PERMANENT AB VOTERS
Eligible voters with permanent absentee status automatically receive an absentee ballot application
form before an election. In advance of the AB period, the auditor or clerk must send blank AB
applications to these voters. These applications should be sent by forwardable mail.
When the applications should be mailed depends upon the election type. Applications must be sent at
least 60 days before:
• regularly scheduled primaries for federal, state, county, city, and school board office
• regularly scheduled general elections for city or school board that does not hold a primary
• special primary (or special election if primary not held) to fill a federal or county vacancy
For any other primary or election for which a primary is not held, applications must be delivered at least
45 days before the election.
(M.S. 203B.04, subd. 5; 203B.06, subd. 1; M.R. 8210.0200, subp. 4)
4.1.1 Generating Mailing Labels for Permanent AB Voters
The SVRS report Recurring Application Mail-Out Labels can be used to create mailing labels for
permanent AB voters. Access the report through the SVRS Reports menu, Standard Reports. It is in two
report categories: 1) Absentee Ballot (for county users) and 2) Local AB (for municipal users if clerk has
been designated to administer absentee voting). The report is available in two formats: pdf and
spreadsheet.
Municipal and school district clerks administering standalone elections should work with the county
auditor(s) to obtain this report.
4.1.2 Obtaining Permanent Absentee Status
An eligible voter may apply to the auditor or municipal clerk (who then forwards the application to the
auditor) to automatically receive absentee ballot applications before each election. There is an
application form for these requests. The Application to Automatically Receive Absentee Applications
is
available on the OSS website (http://www.sos.state.mn.us/media/1914/application-to-automatically-
receive-absentee-applications.pdf).
Upon receiving the application form, the auditor checks the “Recurring Absentee” box in the applicant’s
voter record in SVRS.
If a voter moves to a different residence address, they retain their permanent AB status. A voter’s
permanent absentee status is terminated upon the voter’s written request, the voter’s death, a postal
return of an ongoing voter’s absentee ballot, or when the voter’s status is no longer “active.”
4.2 ESTABLISH AN ABSENTEE BALLOT BOARD
The absentee ballot board is a special board of election judges or election administrators that process
and count returned absentee ballots. The governing body of a county, municipality, or school district
must authorize an absentee ballot board by ordinance or resolution to process returned regular
absentee ballots. The county auditor must establish a UOCAVA absentee ballot board to process
returned UOCAVA absentees.
A defined timeframe for establishing a board is not provided in Minnesota Statutes or Rules. However, a
regular absentee board must meet “regularly,” shortly after the receipt of returned absentee ballots and
the UOCAVA board must meet “immediately” after returned absentees are received. It is good practice
to have the board(s) established by the start of the election’s absentee voting period. A sample
resolution establishing a ballot board is included in Appendix A.
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Each member of the ballot board must be adequately trained on the processing and counting of
absentee ballots including but not limited to:
• instruction on accepting and rejecting absentee ballots
• storage of absentee ballots
• timelines and deadlines
• the role of the ballot board
• procedures for opening absentee ballot envelopes
• procedures for counting absentee ballots
procedures for reporting absentee ballot totals
(M.S. 203B.121, subd. 1; 203B.23, subd. 1)
4.2.1 Ballot Board Makeup
4.2.1.1 Regular Absentee Ballot Board
A ballot board established for processing regular absentees must consist of election judges trained in
the handling of absentee ballots and appointed as provided in sections 204B.19 to 204B.22
. Judges
performing ballot board duties must be of different major political parties. (Minnesota has four major
political parties: the Republican Party, Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, Legal Marijuana Now Party and
Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis Party) The board may include deputy county auditors or deputy city clerks
who have received training on absentee processing and counting. Deputies are exempt from the party
balance requirement.
(M.S. 203B.121, subd. 1)
For township and school district elections not held in conjunction with state elections, ballot board
judges are exempt from the party balance requirement. Further, township or school clerks and deputy
clerks that serve on these ballot boards must be trained election judges. They cannot serve by virtue of
being a clerk or deputy clerk.
Note: If it is required to compare signatures of an absentee ballot voter’s returned signature envelope
to their signed absentee ballot application’s signature, this ballot board duty must be completed by a
team of election judges of two different major political parties.
(Minnesota Voters Alliance, et. al., vs. Ramsey
County et. al., 2022)
Note: The county auditor or a municipal clerk (who has received delegation as a training authority)
provides election judge training.
(M.R. 8240.0100, subp. 6)
4.2.1.2 UOCAVA Ballot Board
The county absentee ballot board established for processing UOCAVA ABs may consist of staff trained
and certified as election judges. A board made up of county staff is exempt from the party balance
requirement that normally applies to election judges.
(M.S.203B.23, subd. 1)
4.3 PROVIDE SAMPLE BALLOTS
For state elections, the county auditor must provide sample ballots electronically for all precincts to OSS.
Ballots must be received at least 46 days before the election (e.g., by the start of the absentee voting
period). For all other elections, jurisdictions may choose whether to provide sample ballots to the
secretary of state.
(M.S. 204D.09; 204D.16)
When sample ballots are provided to OSS, they are available to the public through the Voter Information
Portal’s (VIP) My Ballot
tool (http://myballotmn.sos.state.mn.us/).
If specified by the county, these ballots can also be available in SVRS for use with the UOCAVA Email
Delivery module.
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4.4 PLAN FOR ABSENTEE OUTREACH TO HEALTH CARE FACILITIES
The auditor or clerk must facilitate absentee voting for health care facilities (HCFs) within their
jurisdiction before each election. Minnesota Statutes provide for outreach during the 20 days before an
election and on election day. Outreach involves specially trained election judges visiting statutorily
specified HCFs. Advanced planning is necessary to ensure that:
• HCF list is up-to-date and accurate
• assigned election judges have received the required training
• arrangements for the outreach were made with each facility
Refer to section 6.0 of this guide for further details about each topic. A detailed overview of 20-Day HCF
outreach can be found in Appendix B.
(M.S. 203B.01, subd. 4; 203B.04, subd. 2; 203B.11)
4.5 PREPARE FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS
Absentee ballot application forms, a complete list of those that have applied for a ballot, and a list of
names of those who submitted an absentee ballot that was not accepted cannot be made available for
public review until after 8:00 p.m. on election day. However, a list of those voters with an accepted
absentee ballot is available to the public before close of polls on election day. This list of accepted
absentees must be available in the same manner as public information lists in
M.S. 201.091, subdivision
4, 5 and 9. Absentee data may only be used for election, political activity, or law enforcement purposes.
(M.S. 201.091; 203B.04; 203B.12)
For elections where use of SVRS is required (state primary, state general and federal/state special
elections), OSS will maintain a list of voters who have submitted absentee ballots that have been
accepted. For all other elections, the county auditor, municipal clerk, or school clerk must maintain a list
of voters whose ballots have been accepted. When the auditor or clerk use SVRS to administer absentee
voting, there is an SVRS report designed for these requests. The Accepted Absentee/Mail Ballot List
report is available under the SVRS report categories Absentee Ballot (for county administrators) and
Local Absentee (for city/town administrators). For those elections where SVRS is not used, the auditor or
clerk must maintain the list manually.
Note: An applicant’s full date of birth, Minnesota driver’s license or Minnesota ID number, and the last four
digits of their social security number are not public information.
(M.S. 203B.04, subd. 1 (d))
4.6 ARRANGE FOR STORAGE AND RETENTION
Absentee materials, including blank ballots and returned voted ballots must be securely maintained in a
locked container or other secured and locked space. Ensure that a suitable secure storage option is
available for the duration of the election.
Following election day, these and other materials must be retained for a specific length of time. Make
the necessary arrangements for long-term storage. See section 15.1 of this guide for detailed
information on record retention.
(M.S. 203B.06, subd. 5; 203B.19; 203B.26; 204B.40; M.R. 8210.2400)
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5.0 ISSUANCE OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS
An application is required before an absentee ballot can be issued. There are separate application forms
for regular, military and overseas (UOCAVA) as well as presidential-only absentee voters. This section
focuses on regular absentee ballot applications. (Those voters using the Minnesota process.) Refer to
section 7.0 for applications submitted by UOCAVA voters. Refer to section 8.2 for presidential-only
absentees.
5.1 SUBMITTING A REGULAR ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATION
Any eligible voter may apply for an absentee ballot using the Minnesota process. If an applicant is not
registered to vote, they will register as part of the absentee voting process.
(M.S. 203B.02; 203B.04, subds.1 &
4)
There is not a specific date that voters can start applying for absentee ballots in advance of an election.
A voter may submit an absentee ballot application at any time not less than one day before the date of
the election for which they are applying. (However, under certain circumstances, voters may apply for
and receive an absentee ballot on election day. These circumstances are covered in section 6.0).
Applications received well in advance of the requested election should be held until they can be filled.
Note: To enter a regular absentee ballot application into SVRS, the requested election(s) must be active in
the system and districts must be approved.
There are multiple ways to turn in an absentee ballot application. Applications can be submitted in
person, through the mail, by email attachment, as well as via fax. For federal, state, and county level
elections, applications can also be submitted through the online regular absentee application form
(https://mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us/ABRegistration/ABRegistrationStep1.aspx). The online application
method is not available for standalone city, township, or school district elections
(M.S. 203B.04, subd.1; M.S.
203B.17, subd. 1)
5.2 SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES
5.2.1 Online Absentee Ballot Applications
Absentee ballot applications submitted through the regular online application form on OSS website are
queued in SVRS as they are received or daily in the morning dependent upon passage of a security
check. The applicant receives an auto-generated email from the OSS when their application is placed in
the SVRS Absentee Ballot Online Queue for processing. Timely processing is important.
The SVRS report Online Regular AB Received by Application Date allows for the review of all online
regular applications submitted by voters within a specified date range. Use the report to confirm the
submission of an online application, to check if the application has passed the security check, to see the
date the auto-generated email was transmitted to the applicant or verify that an SVRS AB record was
created.
(M.S. 203B.04, subd. 7)
Special Note: If auditor or clerk prints a copy of the SVRS Absentee Ballot Record screen for those
applications received online to file it with the paper applications received, DO NOT scan and upload/attach
this image back to the SVRS record. SVRS has the original data; this scan is not necessary.
5.2.2 Absentee Ballot Applications Missing Elections Requested
If an absentee ballot application does not include the election(s) for which the voter is requesting a
ballot, prepare a ballot for the next election only.
(M.S. 203B.06, subd. 3(c))
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5.2.3 Absentee Requests from State Adult Correctional Facilities
The commissioner of corrections provides the OSS with a list of names and mailing addresses of state
adult correctional facilities. The State Adult Correctional Facilities List is included in the Appendix D. An
application for an absentee ballot that provides an address included on this list must not be accepted,
nor a ballot provided to the applicant. The county auditor or municipal clerk must promptly transmit a
copy of the application to the county attorney. Requests received from facilities that are not on the List
should be reviewed and filled as appropriate.
(M.S. 203B.06, subd. 3(a))
5.2.4 Absentee Ballot Applications and Power of Attorney
Power of attorney (can be indicated with “POA”) does not apply to voting. An absentee applicant can
have an individual of their choosing fill out the application form on their behalf. This individual can sign
for the voter in their presence and must sign their own name as well.
(M.S. 523.24, subd. 14)
5.2.5 Absentee Requests without Absentee Ballot Application Form
It is possible for a voter to request an absentee without using the “official” application form. An
individual may apply to for an absentee ballot by sending or presenting a letter. The letter must include
the following information:
1. the voter’s name and residential address
2. the address where the ballot should be sent
3. the election(s) for which the request is made
o a single application may be used for both the primary and general election
4. the voter’s date of birth and at least one of the following:
o the voter’s Minnesota driver’s license number
o Minnesota state identification number
o the last four digits of the voter’s social security number or
o a statement that the voter does not have any of these
5. oath stating that the information contained on the form is accurate, that the voter is applying on their
own behalf, and that the voter is signing the oath under penalty of perjury
6. the voter’s own signature and
7. the date the voter signed. (M.S. 203B.04, subd. 1(b))
The potential also exists for an applicant to submit an older version of the absentee ballot application
form. If the form has all the required information (items 1-7 above), absentee administrators can accept
and fill a request submitted on an older version of the absentee ballot application. Even though an
absentee administrator can accept alternative and older forms, the forms provided by the administrator
should match the format provided most recently by the OSS.
5.3 KEYS TO ISSUING AN ABSENTEE BALLOT
After an absentee ballot application is received, an absentee ballot may be issued:
• Directly to the voter for them to complete in person.
• To the voter through the mail.
• To an agent if during the 7 days before an election the voter is one of the following (special procedures
apply, see section 6.2)
o a patient of a health care facility or assisted living facility
o a participant in a residential program for adults
o a resident of a battered women’s shelter
o a voter who would have difficulty getting to the polls because of incapacitating health reasons or
a disability
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An absentee ballot cannot be:
• issued to another person who will then provide it to the voter (unless that individual is the
voter’s agent and the special procedures have been completed. Refer to section 6.2)
• sent electronically (e.g., via email or fax)
Though the method of issuance may differ, the following steps should occur before any absentee ballot
is issued: registration check, recording information on application form and signature envelope, and
ballot and ballot materials review.
5.3.1 Registration Check
To vote, an individual must be registered. An AB applicant not already registered can register as part of
the absentee voting process. The type of ballot materials (e.g., instructions and envelopes) issued
depends upon whether the applicant is registered or not.
Before issuing the absentee ballot and accompanying materials, check the registration status (voter
status) of the absentee applicant using SVRS or master list.
(M.S. 203B.06, subd. 4)
• “A” denotes an active registered voter
• “C” denotes a registered voter with a challenge to their record
If the applicant is registered and active, issue the ballot and registered materials.
If the applicant is not listed in SVRS or the master list, or is listed as “challenged,” issue non-registered
materials. The voter must complete a voter registration application (VRA) and show proof of residence
to a witness. An explanatory notice may be included with the non-registered ballot materials issued to
“challenged” voters. A sample of this included directly below.
Figure 1 Notice to Challenged Voters
SVRS or the master list could also indicate “See ID.” If this indication exists, issue non-registered
absentee materials to the voter.
(M.S. 201.061, subd. 1a)
5.3.1.1 Alternative Procedures for County Absentee Administrators
County auditors administering absentee voting have an alternative if a registration check indicates the
applicant’s voter record is “challenged” or indicates “See ID”.
For “challenged” records:
• When a voter is in-person and it is before pre-registration cutoff: resolve the challenge and
update the voter’s record in SVRS before creating an SVRS absentee ballot record for the voter.
• If by the application was received by mail at any time or in-person after the pre-registration
cutoff: issue non-registered materials. The voter must complete a voter registration application
and show proof of residence to a witness.
For “See ID” records:
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• When a voter is in-person and it is before the pre-registration cutoff (or after the cutoff but
rosters have not been generated): the auditor may view the ID, correct the registration record,
and issue registered materials.
• If the application was received by mail at any time or if it is after the pre-registration cutoff and
rosters have been printed: the voter must be issued nonregistered absentee materials.
5.3.2 Recording Information on Application Form and Signature Envelope
Complete the “official use only” section of the applicant’s AB application to track when the application
was received by the office as well as when and how the ballot and accompanying materials were issued
to the voter and the individual staff member who issued them. Retain and file the filled applications.
(
M.S. 203B.06, subds. 3 & 5)
Before the ballot materials leave the administrator’s office, the following information must be filled in
on the signature envelope:
• Voter name and voter MN address
• Voter ward (if applicable) and precinct number
(M.R. 8210.2000)
For state elections and other elections where the SVRS Absentee Ballot module is used, apply labels
generated by the system to the absentee ballot application and absentee envelopes to dispense with
hand entering most information. With the SVRS application label applied, simply initial and note the
dates ballots were sent in the official use only section of the paper application. Once the “Env #2” label
from SVRS is applied to the signature envelope, no future information is needed.
Figure 2 Administrative Information on Absentee Application
Figure 3 Voter Information on Signature Envelope
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5.3.3 Ballot and Ballot Materials Review
Before providing the ballot and any accompanying materials to the voter in person or through the mail,
it is recommended that a second staff person verify the right ballot has been pulled (e.g., correct ward,
precinct, and school district split) and the materials have been properly assembled.
Materials for registered voters:
• instructions
• secrecy envelope
• signature envelope (registered)
• addressed and postage paid return envelope (if ballot delivery is mail)
Materials for challenged and nonregistered voters:
• election day voter registration application
• nonregistered voting instructions
• secrecy envelope
• signature envelope (nonregistered)
• addressed and postage paid return envelope
(if ballot delivery is mail)
5.4 ISSUING IN-PERSON ABSENTEES
If complete, fill the application of those applying in person immediately.
If the voter wants to take the ballot with them, ensure that the correct postage is on the return
envelope, put all the needed materials, including instructions, into a large transmittal envelope and
hand it to the voter.
If the voter wants to vote at that time, they may take their ballot to a voting booth or to the assistive
voting device in the office, and vote. Once completed, they may seal the ballot in the secrecy envelope,
secure the secrecy envelope in the signature envelope, and return the envelope to the administrator.
Confirm that the envelope is properly completed and signed. For non-registered voter, they must also
have completed the voter registration application, and present proof of identity and residence to their
witness in the same manner as would be done before an election judge on election day. The completed
voter registration application should be enclosed into the signature envelope with (not inside of) the
secrecy envelope.
Complete the witness section of the signature envelope. An absentee witness can be:
• anyone registered to vote in Minnesota, or
• a notary public, or
• a person with the authority to administer oaths.
An election judge can also serve as a witness, as they can administer oaths. They should include their
title in the witness section of the signature envelope. In most cases, county, municipal or school election
administrators meet at least one of the criteria listed above. County staff, even if they reside in a
different state, may serve as a witness if they are a deputy auditor. They should include their title in the
witness section.
(M.S. 8210.2450, subp. 5)
A sample in-person issuance checklist is included in Appendix D.
5.4.1 Absentee Voting Without Envelope or “Direct Balloting”
If permitted by the county auditor (or the municipal/school district clerk for standalone elections), an
alternative in-person absentee voting procedure can be offered beginning seven days before the
election. With this alternative procedure, voters can choose to cast their ballot directly into the ballot
counter made available at the absentee voting location. (As opposed to completing the signature
envelope.) To directly deposit their ballot, a voter must complete the absentee application form and
sign a voter’s certificate.
(MS. 203B.081)
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The voter’s certificate must include the voter’s name, identification number, and the certification
required by M.S. 201.071, subd. 1
. An absentee ballot application form, which includes this certificate, is
available on the Election Administrator Forms webpage. (http://www.sos.state.mn.us/election-
administration-campaigns/election-administration/election-administrator-forms/) An alternative voter
certificate can be found in Appendix A.
Per M.S. 203B.081, “direct balloting” is only permitted for regular absentee ballots. Registered voters in
a mail ballot precinct cannot do direct balloting process with their mail ballots. If a registered voter from
a mail ballot precinct comes into the office during the seven days before the election, they can:
• return their sealed voted mail ballot envelope or
• ask to have their mail ballot spoiled and complete an absentee ballot application in which case
they can use the direct balloting process.
A summary of the direct balloting process is included in Appendix D.
5.5 ISSUING ABSENTEE BALLOTS BY MAIL
If an application is received by mail or electronically (fax, email or via the online application form), and
the ballots themselves are ready, mail the ballot and appropriate materials immediately. Though
absentee ballot request can be received electronically, a regular absentee ballot cannot be issued by
electronic means (e.g., by email or fax). To receive their ballot more quickly, voters may have their
ballot sent to them by express service at their own expense. To do this, they must provide the absentee
administrator with a prepaid envelope when submitting their application.
If the voter has sent the application to the wrong office, promptly forward it to the correct administrator
as an attachment to an email, by fax or by mail.
(M.S. 203B.06, subd. 2)
5.6 ISSUING ABSENTEE BALLOTS WHEN SVRS IS UNAVAILABLE
During elections were SVRS is used to administer absentee ballots, there could be times when the
system is unavailable. When this occurs, absentee administration continues despite technical difficulties.
To prepare for such situations, have the following materials available as a backup to allow you to
continue issuing ballots without pause:
• master list
o digital copy saved to a computer hard drive (do not keep solely in SVRS Saved Reports); or
o paper copy
• precinct finder (to precinct nonregistered absentee voters)
• pre-addressed return labels (to apply to the envelope to be mailed back to the AB board)
• separate set of precinct labels (to specify voter’s precinct on the signature envelope)
Before issuing the ballot and materials, apply a precinct label to the signature envelope and, in place of
the voter name/address label, complete the voter name/address section on the signature envelope by
hand.
When the system is once again available, enter the applications filled manually and print the labels.
Update ballot sent dates as needed to reflect the true date materials were distributed. As voted ballots
are returned, apply the labels to the signature envelopes if desire to use barcodes when processing in
the system.
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6.0 HOSPITAL PATIENTS AND RESIDENTS OF HEALTH CARE FACILITIES
Minnesota election law provides several processes for hospital patients, residents of health care
facilities and other who have difficulty getting to the polls to receive an absentee ballot. These processes
are:
• 20-day health care facility outreach
• Election day health care facility outreach
• Agent pick-up and return
The official carrying out the duties of Minnesota Statutes Chapter 203B is responsible for administering
these processes. (M.S. 203B.04, subd. 2)
6.1 OUTREACH TO HEALTH CARE FACILITIES
Either the auditor or full-time municipal clerk must administer absentee outreach to health care facilities
in the county, city, or town. For school district elections not held in conjunction with other elections, the
school district must also provide these forms of outreach to HCFs located within the district.
(M.S. 203B.11,
subd. 1)
6.1.1 “Health Care Facilities” Defined
Health care facilities (HCFs) mean hospitals, residential treatment centers and nursing homes governed
by M.S. 144.50
. Confirm a facility’s status by calling its administrator or by checking the Minnesota
Department of Health’s Directory of Licensed and Certified Health Care Facilities
(http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/fpc/directory/fpcdir.html). (M.S. 203B.01, subd. 4)
6.1.2 Basic Requirements
Designated election judges who are trained in HCF outreach conduct outreach. Judges operate in teams
of two, each from a different major political party. When traveling to and from facilities, they must
travel together in the same car. Judges provide applications, issue absentee ballots, and assist voters as
requested. At the conclusion of voting, the election judges must return the voted ballots in a sealed
container to the auditor or clerk on the same day.
(M.S. 203B.11, subd. 1)
6.1.3 HCF Election Judge Training
Election judges assigned to conduct HCF absentee voting outreach must complete one hour of training
on HCF-specific duties in addition to the basic two-hour training course. A person must successfully
complete these courses once every two years to remain qualified to serve as an HCF election judge.
The county auditor or delegated municipal clerk provides election judge training. While school district
clerks can receive election judge training, they cannot provide it.
The health care facility outreach training must cover:
• HCF absentee eligibility (both facility and
voter)
• contact persons at facility
• transporting materials
• application process
• voter registration
• aiding voters
• problems at previous elections
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A PowerPoint presentation, which covers the fundamentals of HCF election judge duties and practice
scenarios, is available on the Election Judge Training
webpage (http://www.sos.state.mn.us/election-
administration-campaigns/election-administration/election-judge-training/). This presentation could
serve as a starting point for HCF election judge training.
(M.R. 8240.1400; 8240.1800)
6.1.4 20-Day HCF Outreach
Beginning no sooner than 20 days before an election, one or more teams of election judges travel to
HCFs, take applications for absentee ballots from county, municipal or school district residents, issue
absentee ballots and assist residents with voting as needed, and return the voted ballots in a sealed
container to the auditor or clerk on the same day.
(M.S. 203B.11, subd. 2)
An expanded look at HCF outreach preparation and election judge responsibilities is available in
Appendix B.
6.1.5 Election Day HCF Outreach
On election day, a team of election judges delivers an absentee ballot to eligible voters who:
• became a resident or patient on the day before the election in a hospital or HCF located in the
municipality in which the voter maintains residence; and
• asked the auditor or clerk for an absentee ballot by 5:00 p.m. on the preceding day; and
• submit an application to the HCF absentee judges who deliver absentee ballots.
(M.S. 203B.04, subd. 2; 203B.11, subd. 3)
6.2 AGENT PICK-UP AND RETURN
During the seven days before an election and up until 2:00 p.m. on election day, a voter meeting the
criteria below may designate someone to serve as their agent. This agent will pick up and return an
absentee ballot on the voter’s behalf.
(M.S. 203B.11, subd. 4)
6.2.1 Qualifications and Conditions
To qualify, a voter must have difficulty getting to the polls for one these reasons:
• incapacitating health reasons
• disability
• is a patient in a HCF
• is a resident of an assisted living facility
governed by chapter 144G
• is in a residential program
• is in a battered women’s shelter
To serve as an absent voter’s agent, an individual must meet certain conditions. An agent must:
• be at least 18 years old
• have a preexisting relationship with the vote and
• not be a candidate at the election
The voter may be in a home or facility anywhere the agent is willing to travel. An agent may pick up and
return for no more than three absent voters per election. (A voter may authorize one agent to pick up
the unvoted ballot and may have a different agent return the voted ballot.)
(M.S. 203B.11, subd. 4)
6.2.2 Application Process and Issuing the Ballot
The voter must authorize the agent picking up the ballot in writing. See Appendix A for the agent
delivery form. The agent delivery form should be submitted to the absentee voting administrator
together with the application for an absentee ballot. To cut down on back-and-forth trips,
administrators may email or fax both forms to the voter. The voter may then return them by the same
means.
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Upon receipt of the absentee ballot application and the agent delivery request form, the ballot and
accompanying materials must be prepared. A specific agent delivery signature envelope must be used.
(A sample agent delivery signature envelope is available on the Sample Absentee/Mail Ballot Envelopes
webpage (http://www.sos.state.mn.us/election-administration-campaigns/election-
administration/sample-absenteemail-ballot-envelopes/).) Seal the ballot and materials in a transmittal
envelope and issue to the agent.
Upon the return of the voter’s agent with the voted ballot, complete the Agent Return Record (Log).
See subsection 9.1.3 for further information on filling out the Return Record. For a step-by-step guide to
the agent pick-up and return process refer to Appendix D.
(M.S. 203B.11, subd. 4)
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Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State
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7.0 UOCAVA VOTERS
As indicated in section 3.0, federal and state law provides an absentee voting process for military and
overseas voters. These voters are commonly known as UOCAVA voters since they are covered by the
Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act
(https://www.fvap.gov/info/laws/uocava).
UOCAVA voters use a separate application form, the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). They also
have expanded ballot delivery options and have additional protections under the law.
The county auditor administers UOCAVA voting for all elections (including local standalone elections).
Administration includes establishing a UOCAVA ballot board, receiving applications, issuing ballots and
processing returned envelopes. See section 10.2 for further information on UOCAVA AB board
processes.
7.1 CLASSIFICATIONS
UOCAVA voters fall into one of three possible classifications (or categories):
• Member of the military, their spouse, or dependents
• U.S. citizens temporarily residing outside of the United States
• U.S. citizens indefinitely (permanently) residing outside the United States
“Military” means the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, or Merchant Marine of the United
States, all other uniformed services as defined in United States Code, title 52, section 20310, and military
forces as defined by M.S. 190.05, subd. 3, or any eligible citizen of Minnesota enrolled as a student at the
United States Naval Academy, the United States Coast Guard Academy, the United States Merchant Marine
Academy, the United States Air Force Academy, or the United States Military Academy.
(203B.01, subd. 3)
7.1.1 Military Voters and Voters Temporarily Outside the U.S.
Voters in these categories claim Minnesota as their permanent residence but are temporarily away from
their voting precinct. This group of voters is entitled to vote for all offices and receive a full precinct
ballot.
(MS. 203B.16, subd. 1)
Because Minnesota is their permanent residence, military and temporarily away voters do have the
option to use the regular absentee process as defined in M.S. 203B.04 to M.S. 203B.15
(e.g., apply for
and receive a ballot using a regular absentee ballot application form). However, given the benefits and
protections found in the UOCAVA process, if a UOCAVA-eligible voter applies using the regular absentee
ballot application form and time permits, direct them to complete the Federal Post Card Application
(FPCA) instead. The benefits and protections of the UOCAVA process are discussed more fully in the
subsections below. If there is not enough time to reapply using the FPCA, and the voter has indicated an
overseas address, send the ballot and materials within a UOCAVA transmittal envelope, but include a
regular absentee ballot return envelope without postage.
7.1.2 Voters Indefinitely (Permanently) Outside the U.S.
Voters in this category are U.S. citizens who live permanently outside the United States or have no
definite plans for returning to the country (e.g., Ex-patriates or “Ex-Pats”). They meet all the
qualifications to vote except for residence in Minnesota. To vote in Minnesota, they – or if they have
never resided in the United States, a parent – must have resided in Minnesota for at least 20 days
immediately before leaving the U.S. This group is entitled to vote for only the federal offices of U.S.
President, U.S. Senator, and U.S. Representative. These voters are issued a “special federal ballot,”
containing only those federal offices up for election.
Unlike military voters or those temporarily outside the country, the only application option available is
the FPCA.
(M.S. 203B.16, subd. 2; 204D.11, subd. 4)
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7.2 THE APPLICATION PROCESS
UOCAVA voters apply with the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). The FPCA serves as both an
absentee ballot request and as a voter registration application for certain categories of applicants.
Voters can use:
• the online FPCA absentee ballot application
(https://mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us/UocavaRegistration/UocavaStep1.aspx)
• the paper FPCA submitted by mail or electronically through email or fax (M.S. 203B.17)
These FPCA forms denote two of the UOCAVA classifications in a slightly different manner:
• Those voters that are temporarily outside of the United States indicate “I intend to return”
• Those voter’s that are indefinitely outside of the United States indicate “I do not intend to return”
(online FPCA) or “my return is not certain” (paper FCPA) return
The online FPCA provided through the OSS website is continually available and voters can use it to apply
for any election (federal, state, county, or local). When using the online application form, an applicant’s
information will go through a security check. Following successful passage of the security check, the
applicant receives an auto-generated email from the OSS. This email indicates that their information has
been verified and their application is now queued for their county to process.
Note: The SVRS report Online UOCAVA AB Received by Application Date allows for the review of all online
FPCAs submitted by voters within a specified date range. Use the report to confirm the submission of an
online application, to check if the application has passed the security check, to see the date the auto-
generated email was transmitted to the applicant or verify that an SVRS UOCAVA record was created.
7.2.1 Application Basics
An applicant may submit an FPCA at any time. The application is valid from the date it is received
through the end of that calendar year, or through the next regularly scheduled state general election,
whichever is later. If the voter would like to stop receiving ballots after a specific date, they can provide
a ballot end date on their application.
(M.S. 203B.17, subd. 1 (d)-(e))
Once the FPCA is on file with the county auditor, the voter is provided an absentee ballot at each
election they are eligible for that occurs during the period the application is active. For example, an
application received January 1, 2022, is active through December 31, 2022, and the voter would receive
a ballot for every applicable election that occurs between 1/1/2022 and 12/31/2022. An application
received November 9, 2022, is active through November 5, 2024, and the voter would receive a ballot
for every applicable election that occurs between 11/9/2022 and 11/5/2024.
Special Note: As described above, military voters and voters temporarily overseas are eligible for the full
precinct ballot. Voters in these categories who live in townships with March elections are eligible to receive
the town election ballot. Continually review the SVRS report UOCAVA Applications on File in advance of this
election to ensure that all eligible voters have been issued a ballot.
7.2.2 Completing the FPCA
In addition to the voter themselves, an immediate relative may submit the FPCA on the voter’s behalf.
An ‘immediate’ relative is a voter’s parent, spouse, sibling, or child. The relative must be 18 years or
older.
(M.S. 203B.17, subd. 1)
When completing the application, one of the following identification numbers must be included if
possessed by the voter:
• Minnesota driver’s license or state identification card number
• last four digits of the social security number
• passport number
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Those who apply using the online FPCA hosted by the OSS must provide a Minnesota driver’s license or
state ID card number, or the last four digits of their social security number and an email address to
submit the ballot request. If the voter does not have one or both items, they should apply using the
paper form.
If no number is provided on the paper form, by signing the application the applicant is attesting to the
fact that the information on the application is “true, accurate and complete.”
(M.S. 203B.17, subd. 2)
7.3 RECEIVING UOCAVA APPLICATIONS
When an FPCA is received, the county auditor must immediately enter it into SVRS. If the voter sent the
application to the wrong auditor, promptly forward it to the correct auditor as an attachment to an
email, by fax, or by mail.
(M.S. 203B.18; 203B.19)
As indicated in section 7.2, an FPCA – with limited exceptions – serves as both a voter registration
application and an absentee ballot request. Therefore, the application is input in two places in SVRS:
Voter Registration and Absentee Ballot.
7.3.1 Recording Applications in SVRS
SVRS Voter Registration, Voter Records
When an applicant’s classification is military/spouse/dependent or temporarily outside the U.S. and the
voter themselves signed the FPCA, the county auditor must first process the FPCA as a voter registration
application. Use the application to update the existing SVRS voter record or, if no record exists, to create
a new record. Complete the registration update even when the voter’s address and contact
information has not changed. The Application Date and Updated Registration Date in the voter record
change to reflect this new app.
Those FPCAs received through the online application form are automatically queued for processing in
Pending Applications within Voter Registration in SVRS when the applicant should be registered to vote.
An FPCA with one of the following conditions is not processed as a VRA:
• Condition 1: The voter specified their classification as indefinitely outside the U.S.
• Condition 2: Someone other than the voter signs the application (e.g., an immediate relative applying on
their behalf.)
Note: If an FPCA (whether online or paper) cannot be processed as a VRA, the voter must still receive an
absentee ballot.
(M.S. 203B.19)
SVRS Absentee Ballot, AB Records
After the applicant’s voter registration has been updated (if applicable), a UOCAVA absentee record is
added in the SVRS AB module. When a UOCAVA record already exists, add the new application to the
existing record. When a voter record exists, ensure that it is linked to the UOCAVA AB Record. A linked
UOCAVA record will contain the voter’s voter identification number.
Pursuant to statutory requirements, the absentee record includes the following information:
• voter’s name
• voter’s present or former address of residence in Minnesota
• school district number
• passport number, Minnesota driver’s license or state identification card number, or the last four digits of
the voter’s social security number
• category of UOCAVA voter
o Note: The paper FPCA further breaks out military voters as Uniformed Services or Merchant
Marine; Eligible spouse or dependent; or National Guard member on state orders. Select the
SVRS category ‘Uniformed Services or Spouse or Dependent’ for all these classifications. The
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paper form also includes the category ‘Never resided in the U.S.’ Select the SVRS category
‘Indefinitely Outside the U.S.’
• Ballot delivery information
(M.S. 203B.19)
7.3.2 Rejecting an Application
There are only three reasons to reject an FPCA: the application is incomplete (e.g., missing required
information), the voter is ineligible, or the application form is not signed.
The following are not acceptable reasons to reject an FPCA:
• It is a duplicate (e.g., the voter has already submitted an FPCA)
• the election is past or received too late
• there is not currently an election scheduled for which the voter is eligible
If a voter with an active UOCAVA record submits a second FPCA either online or by paper application,
the new FPCA should be used to update the voter’s registration record again (if applicable) and the new
application should be added to the existing SVRS UOCAVA record (click Add App-Existing UOCAVA
button). Do not reject the application. Likewise, do not reject a UOCAVA application because an election
is over or there is not a future election scheduled. As described above, the FPCA is valid for a defined
period, and during that period it acts as a request for any election that occurs for which the applicant is
eligible. If no elections occur, it will simply expire on the appropriate date.
If it is necessary to reject an FPCA, notation of the rejection should be included in the voter’s SVRS
UOCAVA absentee record. Further, the auditor must notify the applicant and provide a reason for the
rejection. A UOCAVA application marked “rejected” in SVRS will generate a notice of unacceptability. To
print the system-generated notice: From the Final Review Screen, select the Submit Print Now button,
and click the Print Rejection Letter button.
(M.S. 203B.17, subd. 2)
7.3.3 UOCAVA Applications with Non-matching Precincts
As UOCAVA applications have lengthy validity dates, it is possible for a voter with an active UOCAVA
application to submit a voter registration application or VRA update. It may happen that this update is at
a different address within the state. As a result, the voter has a registration record at one address (or
precinct) and an active UOCAVA application at another address (or precinct). The SVRS report UOCAVAs
With Non-Matching Precincts will identify any voters in this situation. Before transmitting UOCAVA
ballots, it is good practice to run this report and attempt to resolve any cases identified.
For UOCAVA apps with non-matching precincts, attempt to contact the voter to determine if a new
FPCA needs to be submitted or if the existing application should be cancelled.
• If a new FPCA is provided, update the voter registration and UOCAVA records to reflect the correct
address and send the appropriate ballot.
• If a new FPCA is provided after the original ballot is sent, spoil the original ballot, and send a new ballot
for new address.
If no response is received from the voter, send the appropriate ballot based on the voter’s residential
address in their UOCAVA application (FPCA), not the address in their voter registration record. For,
pursuant to M.S. 203B.19
, a UOCAVA voter is not required to register under any other provision of law
to vote using the UOCAVA process.
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7.4 FILLING THE BALLOT REQUEST
The ballot and ballot materials may be sent to a UOCAVA voter by mail, email, or fax. Only UOCAVA
voters can receive the ballot by electronic means. This is not permitted for regular AB or presidential-
only voters.
7.4.1 Mail
Materials sent by the U.S. Postal Service, or the military postal service should be mailed using the
UOCAVA outgoing return envelope with free federal postage-paid indicia.
(39 USC 3406; M.S. 203B.21, subd. 2;
203B.22)
7.4.2 Electronically
A UOCAVA voter can elect to have their ballot sent to them via email or fax. Materials sent electronically
do not require return postage.
(M.S. 203B.225)
Note: The UOCAVA Email Delivery system in SVRS facilitates emailing UOCAVA ballot materials to voters who
requested that delivery method. A step-by-step guide to utilizing this process is available in SVRS User
Documentation under the category Absentee Ballot, subcategory UOCAVA.
7.5 VOTING AND RETURN MAILING PROCESSES
Upon receipt of the materials, the UOCAVA voter votes their ballot and completes the certificate of
eligibility (signature envelope). (A voter receiving their materials through email must print these items).
On the certificate of eligibility, the voter must provide the same identification number as provided on
their absentee ballot application (e.g., Minnesota driver’s license or state identification card number,
last four digits of their social security number or passport number). UOCAVA voters self-certify their
ballot; a witness is not required. The voter seals the ballot and certificate of eligibility into a return
envelope.
(M.S. 203B.21, subd. 3)
The ballot and certificate of eligibility are returned to the county auditor by mail. A voted ballot cannot
be returned by email or fax. The free postage paid indicia can only be used if mailing from a U.S. Post
Office, the Military Postal Service Agency (APO/FPC) or U.S. Diplomatic Pouch. Materials sent by the
voter using a foreign mail service system or common carrier (e.g., FedEx or UPS) must pay the rate for
that service themselves. Ballots must be received by election day to be counted.
The auditor must immediately deliver returned UOCAVA envelopes to the UOCAVA ballot board for
accepting/rejecting. See section 10.2 for further information about ballot board procedures.
7.6 FEDERAL WRITE-IN ABSENTEE BALLOT
Minnesota allows the use of a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB). The FWAB is available for UOCAVA voters
who feel that there may not be sufficient time to receive and return the official ballot, or for UOCAVA voters who
did not receive their requested absentee ballot. The FWAB allows a voter to write in their choices for federal,
state, and local offices.
A voter can write in either a candidate name or political party for federal offices. For state and local offices, a voter
must write in a candidate name for the votes to count. As described above, the classification selected by the voter
determines the offices for which they can vote. Only those UOCAVA voters eligible to vote for state and local
offices (those that are “military” and “temporarily away”) should do so.
The FWAB serves as ballot, absentee ballot request, and voter registration application (when applicable) in lieu of
an FPCA. The FWAB includes of a Voter’s Declaration/Affirmation page and Write-In Absentee Ballot pages. To be
complete, the voter must submit both parts.
There are two possible scenarios with a FWAB:
• Scenario 1: Voter submits FWAB; there is no FPCA already on file with county
• Scenario 2: Voter previously submitted FPCA and official ballot was issued; FWAB is now submitted
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7.6.1 FWAB Scenario 1
If an applicant did not previously submit an FPCA, treat the FWAB like an FPCA. First, use the FWAB to
update the voter’s registration record (as appropriate, based on guidelines discussed in section 7.3.1
above.) Next, add a UOCAVA AB record for the voter. The FWAB is the voter’s ballot. Do not issue an
“official” ballot for the election. Use the SVRS ballot record to process the write-in ballot – e.g., mark as
accepted/rejected based on ballot board’s review of the FWAB. Process the FWAB beginning seven days
before the election.
(M.S. 203B.227)
7.6.2 FWAB Scenario 2
If a FWAB is received from a voter who previously submitted an FPCA and was issued an official ballot,
proceed as if the write-in ballot is the official ballot. Following accepting/rejecting by the ballot board,
mark the existing ballot record in SVRS as “accepted” or “rejected” as appropriate and check the FWAB
checkbox to indicate the ballot is a FWAB. Up until 8:00 p.m. on election day, the potential exists for the
official ballot be returned as well. To account for this, a FWAB in this scenario cannot be processed (e.g.,
separated from the secrecy envelope and run through the tabulator) until after 8:00 p.m. election night
to allow for the return of the official ballot.
7.6.3 FWAB Processing
When a FWAB is received, place the write-in ballot portion of the FWAB in a secrecy envelope. Keep the
certification portion with the secrecy envelope. Delivery it to the ballot board for accepting/rejecting.
For further information on processing FWABs, see section 13.2.2.
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8.0 SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
8.1 VOTERS IN THE SAFE AT HOME PROGRAM
Safe at Home (SAH) is a program offered by the OSS in collaboration with local victim service providers
to establish a confidential address for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and/or stalking, or
others who fear for their safety. Individuals participating in the program can register as permanent
absentee voters.
Before every election (whether regularly scheduled or special), the SAH office reviews participants and
their voting precinct to determine who is eligible to cast a ballot in the election. SAH will contact the
appropriate county auditor to request the necessary number of absentee ballots for SAH voters. At
elections where the county auditor does not administer absentee voting (e.g., March town elections or
local special elections), the county can request ballots from the jurisdiction conducting the election or
forward them to the SAH office or forward the OSS request directly to the appropriate clerk for them to
fill.
The SVRS AB module is not used to record and track SAH ballots. Provide the following materials to the
SAH office: ballots in quantity requested and a copy of the OSS request letter. SAH has its own supply of
instructions and envelopes. Do not send these materials.
When SAH obtains the absentee ballot from the auditor or election administrator, they mail the ballot
and accompanying materials to the voter. The SAH voter returns their absentee ballot envelope to SAH.
SAH reviews the envelope. Based on the review, the SAH office makes a recommendation to the local
ballot board for acceptance or rejection of the envelope. This recommendation is recorded on the
reverse of the SAH signature envelope.
After SAH review, all ballots are forwarded to the county auditor. The auditor directs them to the county
absentee ballot board or to the appropriate clerk, who then directs them to the board. The ballot board
must accept or reject the ballot based on the certification provided.
To protect program participants, election administrators, clerks and judges should not share the fact
that there are Safe at Home voters in any precinct.
(M.S. 5B.06; M.R. 8290.1300)
An Absentee Voter states they are a Safe at Home Participant
Minnesota statutes, section 5B.06
states that the name and address of a Safe at Home participant must
not be listed in the statewide voter registration system. Therefore, their names will not be found in SVRS
when they attempt to vote as a regular absentee voter.
Safe at Home participants vote by an absentee ballot administered by the Safe at Home staff and not by
county or municipal election administrators. That process is outlined in statutes and administrative
rules.
There is no process for a Safe at Home participant to vote using regular absentee voting processes and
procedures. If a voter offers that they are a participant of the program, have them contact the Safe at
Home offices immediately for next steps.
Safe at Home office phone numbers are: 651-201-1399 (metro area), 1-866-723-3035 (greater
Minnesota), 711 (Minnesota relay service)
8.2 PRESIDENTIAL-ONLY VOTERS
The presidential-only ballot, as its name suggests, contains only the office of President and Vice-
President. Voters eligible for this ballot meet a unique set of circumstances: they have moved to
another state within 30 days of the general election in a presidential election year. No state has
residency requirements that exceed 30 days. These voters are unable to register to vote in the state
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where they now live because they cannot meet the new state’s residency requirement. However, as U.S.
citizens, they are still eligible to vote for the office of President and Vice-President.
Note: Do not confuse the presidential-only ballot with the federal-only ballot. The federal-only ballot is
available to U.S. citizens indefinitely outside the U.S. and contains all federal offices.
Presidential only ballots will be available for the November 2024 elections. To apply for the presidential-
only ballot, applicants must have moved to another state between October 6 and November 5 of 2024.
They must meet all voter eligibility requirements except residence in Minnesota. They do not have to be
active registered Minnesota voters. Voters who may move into Minnesota within 20 days of the
election, and thus cannot meet our residency requirement, must request the presidential-only ballot
from their former state.
Voters who would like to request a presidential ballot must submit a Presidential Absentee Application
to the auditor of the county of last residence. This application is separate and distinct from the regular
absentee ballot application and the FPCA. It must be submitted by mail, email, or fax. There is not an
option to apply online.
Upon receipt, the county auditor enters the application into the SVRS AB module, selecting the application
type “Presidential.” As with the separate application, there are special ballot materials mailed to the voter:
presidential-only ballot, presidential-only AB instructions and presidential ballot signature envelope.
Samples
of Presidential absentee materials are available on the OSS website at:
http://www.sos.state.mn.us/election-administration-campaigns/election-administration/sample-
absenteemail-ballot-envelopes/.
(U.S. Code, title 42, section 1973aa-1; M.R. 8210.0100)
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9.0 RETURN OF VOTED ABSENTEE BALLOTS
All Absentee voters – regular, UOCAVA, presidential-only - may return their marked absentee ballots
• by mail
• by package delivery service
• in-person
• through an agent
Voted ballots cannot be returned electronically through email or fax.
9.1 RETURN OPTIONS
9.1.1 Mail or Package Delivery Service
A ballot may be returned by U.S. mail or package delivery service (USPS, FedEx, or similar) to the address
on the return envelope. It must arrive by 8:00 p.m. on election day to be counted (“last” mail delivery
could be up until 8:00 p.m.).
(M.S. 203B.08, subd. 1; M.R. 8210.2100)
9.1.2 In-Person
A voter may drop off their own voted absentee ballot in person to the county auditor, municipal clerk,
or school district clerk from whom the ballot was received by 3:00 p.m. on election day. The ballot
cannot be returned to the polling place. Absentee ballots received after 3:00 p.m. must be marked as
late and not delivered to the ballot board. Note that this is different from the 8:00 p.m. deadline for mail
ballots.
(M.S. 203B.08, subd. 3; M.R. 8210.2200, subp. 1)
Before accepting an AB signature envelope that is hand delivered, the auditor or clerk should inquire as
to whether the ballot was voted by the individual returning it. If the answer is “No,” refer to section
10.1.3. If the answer is “Yes, this is my voted ballot,” the auditor or clerk shall inspect the signature
envelope and verify that it is sealed and properly completed. If the envelope is unsealed or not properly
completed, the voter is allowed to seal it and correct or complete the certification portion.
(M.R.
8210.2200, subp. 2)
9.1.3 Agent Return
An absentee voter may ask someone else to return their sealed signature envelope in person to the
county auditor or clerk from whom the ballot was received. This individual is known as an agent. An
agent must be at least 18 years old. They may only return ballots for up to three voters per election.
Any voter may designate an agent to return their voted ballot (e.g., spouse returning a ballot for their
spouse). The designation of an agent to return a voted ballot is separate from the agent pick-up and
return process of an unvoted (blank) ballot. To learn more about agent pick-up and return see section
6.2.
A ballot brought back by an agent must be submitted by 3:00 p.m. on election day. An agent may not
return an absentee ballot to election judges in a polling place.
(M.S. 203B.08, subd. 3)
Agent Return involves two steps: 1) Inspecting the Signature Envelope and 2) Completing the Agent
Return Record.
Envelope Inspection
Before accepting an AB signature envelope that is hand-delivered by an agent, the auditor or clerk must
inspect the signature envelope and verify that it is sealed, and that the certification portion is properly
completed. If the signature envelope is sealed but not properly completed, the agent may return the
envelope to the absent voter for correction or completion in compliance with the time requirements
described above.
When an agent hand-delivers an AB envelope that is not sealed or which the auditor or clerk has reason
to believe has been tampered with, the envelope must not be accepted. The auditor or clerk must write
“rejected” across the signature envelope and write the reason for rejection. This rejected signature
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envelope must be retained by the auditor or clerk. The absent voter may apply for a replacement ballot.
A notice of nonacceptance must be mailed promptly to the absent voter and include the following
information: the date of nonacceptance; the name and address of the agent; reason for nonacceptance.
A replacement ballot may be sent in place of the notice of nonacceptance. See section 11.0 for further
information on replacement ballots.
Complete Agent Return Record
The auditor or clerk must keep a record of ballots returned by individuals other than the voter. The
record must indicate both the agent’s name and the absentee voter’s name and address. The agent
returning the ballot must sign the Agent Return Record and show the auditor or clerk identification
containing the agent’s name and signature. Absentee ballots received after 3:00 p.m. must be marked as
late and not delivered to the AB board.
(M.S. 203B.08, subd. 4; M.R. 8210.2200, subps. 2 & 3)
Note: A sample Agent Return Record (Log) is included in Appendix A. The same log can be used for agent
return as well as agent pick-up and return.
9.1.4 Drop Boxes
Jurisdictions holding elections may provide for a drop box for the return of voted absentee ballots. An
absentee voting drop box means a secure receptacle or container established to receive completed
absentee ballots 24 hours per day. A drop box is not a receptacle or container maintained by the United
States Postal Service or a location at which ballots are provided directly to an employee of the county
auditor or municipal clerk.
Only the absentee voter themselves can place their voted ballot in a drop box.
Minimum Security and Integrity Standards for Drop Boxes
If a jurisdiction provides a drop box, there are minimum security and integrity standards outlined in
M.S.
203B.082, subd. 2.
Publication of Drop Box Locations Required
A list of designated drop box locations must be provided to the OSS no later than 40 days prior to the
start of the absentee voting period at every regularly scheduled primary or general election. The list
must be published on the website of the county or municipality and on the website of the OSS at least
35 days prior to the start of the absentee voting period.
An updated list of designated drop box locations is to be provided to the OSS no later than 20 days prior
to the start of the absentee voting period. The updated list must be published on the website of the
county or municipality and on the website of the OSS at least 15 days prior to the start of the absentee
voting period.
9.2 ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES
When a voted absentee ballot is returned to the county auditor or municipal or school clerk, the return
envelope is stamped or initialed to indicate it was received. When SVRS is used, the ballot is marked
“received” in SVRS as well. The received ballot is then placed in a secure location with other returned
absentee ballots.
(M.S. 203B.065; M.S. 8210.2200, subp. 3)
Regular absentee ballots must be delivered to the absentee ballot board within five days of their receipt
by the auditor/clerk for accepting/rejecting up until two weeks before the election. During the 14 days
preceding the election, regular ABs must be delivered to the board within three days of their receipt.
(M.S. 203B.08, subd. 3)
UOCAVA absentee ballots must be delivered to the UOCAVA ballot board immediately upon receipt by
the auditor. (M.S. 203B.23, subd. 2)
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Note: When SVRS is used, ballots going to the board the same day do not need to be marked “Received”
in the system. Following the ballot board meeting, simply mark ballots “Accepted” or “Rejected” and the
received date will automatically be set to the accepted or rejected date.
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10.0 ABSENTEE BALLOT BOARD DUTIES: ENVELOPE REVIEW
As described above, absentee ballots are delivered to the appropriate ballot board in the stipulated time
frame. Challengers can view meetings of the absentee ballot board. The meeting schedule of the
absentee ballot board should be posted. See section 10.3 for further information.
10.1 REGULAR ABSENTEE BALLOT BOARD
All regular absentee signature envelopes received during the 45 days before the election must be
delivered to the regular absentee ballot board for review.
There are two limited exceptions. In the following cases, envelopes do not have to be brought to the
ballot board:
• Agent-delivered absentee envelopes rejected by the auditor or clerk for being unsealed or tampered
with
• Absentee envelopes received late (after 8:00 p.m. for USPS or parcel service or after 3:00 p.m. for hand-
delivered).
(M.S. 203B.08, subd. 3; M.R. 8210.2200)
Up until two weeks before election day, the county auditor or municipal clerk (or school clerk) must
deliver returned absentee ballots to the ballot board within five days of receipt. During the 14 days
immediately preceding election day, the ballots must be delivered to the board within three days.
(M.S.
203B.08, subd. 3)
Two or more members of the ballot board examine each signature envelope. The envelope is marked
accepted or rejected as provided in M.S. 203B.121 and M.R. 8210.2450
. Guidelines on
accepting/rejecting envelopes as well as examples of accepted/rejected signature envelopes can be
found in Appendix C.
Acceptance Criteria:
1. The voter’s name and address on the envelope matches the application
a. Notes:
i. Use of, or lack of, full names, nicknames, abbreviations, or initials on the application or
envelope is not a reason for rejection.
ii. Power of Attorney (POA) does not apply to voting.
2. The voter has signed on the back of the envelope
a. Note: A signature is considered the voters even if a voter used a signature mark on either or
both the application and envelope, or if a voter had another individual or different individuals
sign the names in their presence on either or both the application and envelope.
3. The voter has provided the same identification number on the envelope as on the AB application or on
their voter record (see section 5.2.5 for acceptable ID numbers)
a. If neither matching option results in a match, the board must compare the signature on the
envelope to the signature provided on the application form to determine whether the ballot was
returned by the same person to whom it was transmitted.
b. Notes:
i. Use of, or lack of, full names, nicknames, abbreviations, or initials on the application or
envelope is not a reason for rejection.
ii. It is not possible to successfully compare a pen and ink signature to a digital typed
signature.
4. The voter is registered and eligible to vote in the precinct or has included a properly completed VRA with
proof of residence marked on the signature envelope
a. If the voter was sent nonregistered materials, double-check their registration status in SVRS (or
master list or VIP Lookup tool). Their registration status could have changed between
transmission of the blank ballot and the receipt of the voted ballot. If the voter is now
registered, a VRA is not necessary.
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b. If a VRA is not found in the signature envelope, open the tan ballot envelope and, without
examining or removing the ballot, remove any VRA from the envelope and immediately reseal,
initial, and note the purpose of why it was opened on the exterior of the tan envelope.
5. A witness has signed the statement on the signature envelope, and has provided a Minnesota residential
address or title indicating they are eligible to administer oaths, or has affixed a notary stamp
6. The voter has not already voted in the election in person, or – if it is after the 7th day before the election
– by absentee.
Signature envelopes, which meet the acceptance criteria, are marked “Accepted” by the ballot board
members, who then sign or initial below the indication on the envelope. Accepted envelopes are
returned to the auditor or designated clerk and securely stored.
If not satisfied that the ballot should be accepted, ballot board members mark the signature envelope as
“Rejected,” sign or initial below this indication and list the reason for rejection. Rejected ballots are
returned to the auditor or designated clerk. Dependent upon timing, a replacement ballot will be issued,
or the voter will be contacted. See section 11.0 for more information.
In a state primary, state general election, special election for federal or state office or other elections in
which the SVRS AB module is used, all returned ballots must be marked “Accepted” or “Rejected” in
SVRS. At other elections, record this information into the tracking spreadsheet.
10.2 UOCAVA ABSENTEE BALLOT BOARD
During the 45 days before the election, the UOCAVA absentee ballot board must immediately examine
the signature envelopes received by the auditor.
(M.S. 203B.23)
The board members compare the voter’s name on the envelope with the name recorded in SVRS from
the UOCAVA application. The signature envelope is marked “accepted” or “rejected” as provided in
M.S.
203B.24.
Acceptance Criteria:
1. The voter’s name on the envelope appears substantially the same on the application
2. The voter has signed the certification on the back of the signature envelope
3. The voter has provided the same identification number as on the application
a. Note: Voter can provide their passport, MN driver’s license or state ID number or the last four
digits of their social security number.
b. If the identification numbers do not match, board members must try to satisfy themselves that
the ballot was returned by the same individual to whom the ballot was sent.
4. The voter is not known to have died
5. The voter has not already voted in the election in person or by absentee.
Signature envelopes, which meet the acceptance criteria, are marked “Accepted” by the ballot board
members, who then sign or initial below the indication on the envelope. All returned UOCAVA ballots
must be marked “Accepted” or “Rejected” in SVRS.
If the administration of the regular AB board has been designated to the municipal clerk (or if it is a local
special election begin administered by the city, town, or school clerk), the county auditor must forward
“accepted” UOCAVA ballots to the appropriate municipal ballot board for final processing.
(M.S. 203B.23)
10.3 BALLOT BOARD “CHALLENGERS”
As per October 16, 2020, Minnesota Attorney General’s opinion, “Challengers do not have any
role or authority within the ballot-board process.”
For more information, please review the opinion (https://www.ag.state.mn.us/office/Opinions/182-
20201016.pdf).
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11.0 REPLACEMENT ABSENTEE BALLOTS
Replacement ballots are provided to voters (both regular and UOCAVA) when their absentee ballot is
rejected by the ballot board or upon a voter’s request. Replacement ballots must be transmitted in an
envelope labeled “REPLACEMENT BALLOT” in at least 18-point type.
(M.R. 8210.2600)
11.1 BALLOT REJECTED BY AB BOARD
If a regular absentee ballot or UOCAVA absentee ballot is rejected more than five days before the
election, a replacement ballot is issued to the voter. The replacement ballot is sent with the same
materials as the original ballot (instructions, signature, secrecy, and mailing envelopes), as well as an
explanation of why the original ballot was rejected. A sample notice with a list of possible ballot
rejection reasons for use by the absentee ballot board is available in Appendix C.
If an envelope is rejected within five days of the election, a replacement ballot is not sent. The official in
charge of the AB board must attempt to contact the voter by telephone or via email to notify the voter
of the rejection of their ballot and their options for casting a replacement. These contact attempts must
be documented. When the SVRS Absentee Ballot module is used, the Comments section of the voter’s
AB record can be used to record the contact attempts.
(M.S. 203B.121, subd. 2; M.R. 8210.2600, subp. 2)
Recommended Best Practice: If the voter cannot be reached successfully, issue a replacement ballot.
11.2 VOTER REQUEST
The auditor or clerk must provide a replacement ballot when a voter requests one because the voter’s
ballot was lost, spoiled, or never received. Additionally, a voter with an accepted ballot may request to
spoil their ballot and receive a replacement up until close of business on the seventh day before the
election.
Requests for a replacement do not need to be made in writing. However, the administrators should
satisfy themselves that they are communicating with the AB applicant. The following information should
be recorded on the voter’s absentee ballot application:
• the date of the voter’s request
• the date that a replacement ballot was issued to the voter
• the reason for replacement.
If the voter returns a spoiled ballot to the auditor or clerk, the returned ballot must be placed in a
spoiled ballot envelope. When a voter requests to spoil their accepted ballot (to “claw back their ballot”)
and have a replacement issued, the voter’s original unopened signature envelope should be re-marked
as “spoiled” and placed with the other spoiled ballots in the spoiled ballot envelope.
(M.S. 203B.121, subd.
2; M.R. 8210.2600 subp. 1)
11.3 OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES
Minnesota Statutes does not include other scenarios for replacement. (M.S. 203B.06, subd. 3(c)) If absentee
ballots must be replaced for an occurrence such as a ballot printing error, the election official must
consult with their legal counsel to receive a court order to provide replacement ballots to affected
absentee voters.
If the SVRS absentee ballot module is being used to manage absentee ballots for the affected election, it
is recommended that the system be used to issue and track replacement ballots.
Based on system capability, the following is the recommended procedure:
• Use SVRS to issue replacement ballots. Issuing replacements is a manual process where a replacement
ballot must be added to each absentee ballot (AB) record individually. Before replacements can be
issued, the ‘old’ ballots must be updated to “Spoiled/Lost” status.
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o For ‘old’ ballots in “Accepted” status: Change to “Spoiled/Lost.” Then add replacement ballot
(leave initialized, do not click Submit Print Now and generate labels). Then change ‘old’ ballot
back to “Accepted.”
o For ‘old’ ballots in “Sent” status: change to “Spoiled/Lost.” Then add replacement ballot (leave
initialized, do not click Submit Print Now.)
• Once all replacements have been added, use the SVRS AB Labels report Avery or Dymo to create a batch.
Set criteria to print “Replacement ballots only,” and print ballot labels for all replacements. When
sending replacement ballots, label transmittal envelope “REPLACEMENT BALLOT.”
• With replacements issued, one of three possible scenarios will play out:
o Scenario 1: Voter whose ‘old’ ballot was accepted returns a replacement ballot, which is
subsequently accepted by the AB board – Because ‘old’ ballot is still marked “accepted” in the
system, SVRS user will receive the following warning when trying to mark the replacement ballot
“accepted”: Other Accepted AB/MB exists. This will prompt them to pull the physical ballot,
mark that envelope “rejected,” and then go to the voter’s AB record in SVRS and change the ‘old’
ballot to “Rejected.” Then, they can accept the replacement ballot in the system.
o Scenario 2: Voter whose ‘old’ ballot was in “Sent” status returns a replacement ballot, which is
subsequently accepted – SVRS user can mark the ballot “Accepted” as normal in the system (no
warnings will be received, because the ‘old’ ballot is now in “Spoiled/Lost” status. Were the
voter to attempt to send back the ‘old’ ballot as well, the system will give Other Accepted
AB/MB warning.) No additional action is required.
o Scenario 3: Voter whose ‘old’ ballot was accepted, never returns a replacement – ‘Old’ ballot is
still accepted, and replacement is in “Sent” status, so system reflects real-world situation. No
additional action is required.
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12.0 VOTER REGISTRATION CHANGES FOR ABSENTEE VOTERS
12.1 PROCESS WHEN ABSENTEE VOTER BECOMES DECEASED
Election administrators may receive notification that a voter with an existing absentee request has
passed away. When a death notice is received, administrators should consider both the voter’s
registration and their absentee ballot request.
Voter Registration Record
The county auditor should confirm the notification with a second source, such as an obituary or
Department of Health Death Check. Once confirmed, the status of the SVRS voter record should be
changed to Deceased. Maintain a copy of the second source for 22 months.
When the SVRS voter record has been marked deceased, the SVRS absentee ballot record associated to
the voter will automatically be set to Inactive.
Absentee Ballot Record
The administrative steps to take depend upon whether a voted ballot has been returned.
If the voted ballot has been returned, the ballot should be brought to the ballot board for rejection. The
ballot board would reject the ballot for the reason “voter has died.” A ballot that was previously
accepted by the ballot board should be returned to the board for further review. A deceased individual
no longer meets the voter eligibility criteria.
Note: If SVRS is used to administer absentee voting, ensure that the Resend Ballot checkbox has been
unchecked when marking the ballot rejected in the system. Else an unnecessary replacement ballot will be
initialized for the voter.
If an unvoted ballot has been returned, the auditor or clerk should mark the ballot as undeliverable. As
undeliverable ballots do not go before the ballot board, the ballot would not be marked rejected.
If no ballot has been returned, the auditor or clerk should mark the ballot as spoiled/lost.
12.2 PROCESS WHEN COA ACTIVITY AFFECTS ABSENTEE VOTERS
Change of address (COA) information from the United States Postal Service and the Electronic
Registration Information Center is received and loaded into SVRS monthly. However, COA data is not
loaded into SVRS within 47 days of the state primary or the state general election. With voters applying
far in advance of the election for absentee ballots, it is quite possible to receive change of address (COA)
updates for voters with absentee ballot records
.
When processing COA changes in SVRS – whether through COA Express, Pending Applications or
manually within the voter record – county administrators will receive notification when a voter with a
COA Change also has an active absentee record in the system. The absentee ballot record could exist in
the SVRS user’s county or in any other county in the state.
A recommended best practice is to review the voter’s absentee record before applying the COA update.
• If a voter has a UOCAVA record, administrators should complete additional research (e.g., contact
the voter for clarification) before applying the address change and moving the voter. It may be that
the voter used COA for a mail forward while they’re away, but have not permanently moved.
• If a voter has a regular absentee record, the COA change should be applied.
Once the Express and Pending Queues have been processed or manual updates completed, both county
and municipal administrators can review the SVRS report COA Activity Affecting Absentee Voters. This
report is located under the report category Absentee Ballot (or Local AB for municipal users). It is
recommended to run this report at least weekly.
The report provides up to three breakouts:
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• Voters where both voter record and absentee record are in the administrator’s county
• Voters where absentee record is in the administrator’s county, but the voter record is in a different
county
• Voters where the voter record is in the administrator’s county, but the absentee record is in a
different county
12.2.1 Processing Steps
Scenario 1: COA Address and AB Address are the Same
When both the voter record and absentee ballot record are in the administrator’s county, it is possible
that the COA update has modified the voter’s registration to reflect the address the voter provided on
their AB application. In these cases, no action is needed.
Scenario 2: COA Address and AB Address are Different
If an absentee ballot has been sent, update the status of the ballot to spoiled/lost in SVRS. Because the
voter has moved to an address different from the residence address they certified on the absentee
ballot application, the voter can no longer vote the issued ballot. Further, as the application’s residence
address is now incorrect, the Application status within the SVRS AB record should be changed from
Approved to Rejected, and an explanatory note added to the Comments field. Finally, notify the voter
via email, phone, or mail. Provide information on how to reapply for an absentee ballot at their new
address.
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13.0 ABSENTEE BALLOT BOARD DUTIES: ENVELOPE PROCESSING
Regular absentee and (with a few limited exceptions) UOCAVA envelope processing can begin after the close of
business (COB) on the seventh day before the election. Before an accepted ballot can be separated from its
envelope, the roster must be marked to indicate that the voter has voted. After COB and the marking of the roster,
ballots from “Accepted” signature envelopes may be opened, duplicated if necessary and deposited into the ballot
counter.
13.1 RECORD OF VOTING ABSENTEE: MARKING ROSTERS AND CREATING REPORT
Two items must be prepared by the start of voting on election day:
• polling place roster with notations for those registered voters whose ballots were accepted before COB
on the seventh day before the election
• supplemental report listing absentee voters who submitted a voter registration application with their
ballot (e.g., a report of AB election day registrations.)
The polling place roster can be marked with AB notations:
• by the auditor, municipal clerk, or ballot board before election day or
• by election judges at the polling place on election day before the polls open.
(M.S. 203B.121, subd 3(b))
13.1.1 When SVRS Absentee Ballot Module is not used
When absentee balloting is administered without the aid of the SVRS AB module, all AB notations must
be hand-entered onto the rosters. Using data from the tracking spreadsheet, administrators must also
prepare the report of absentee election day registrants.
13.1.2 When SVRS Absentee Ballot Module is used
When SVRS is used to record AB applications and mark ballots accepted/rejected, the system will aid in
the marking of the polling place rosters and the creation of a report of absentee election day registrants.
13.1.2.1 Polling Place Rosters
The following pre-printed notations may be included on roster pages when applicable:
• “A.B.”: indicates an absentee ballot was accepted for the voter
• “Challenged – Different A.B. Address”: indicates that the residential address supplied by the voter on
their AB application is different from the residential address listed on the roster.
The “A.B.” notation is automatically printed in the roster for those ballots marked “accepted” in the
system before the rosters are created. Be sure SVRS is up to date (all ballots processed through
Returned AB Envelopes or UOCAVA Ballot Board) before marking rosters ready to build (i.e., print).
Ballots marked “accepted” after rosters are built must be added to the printed roster by hand using the
supplemental AB reports. See Appendix D for details about the SVRS supplemental reports.
The rosters must be marked before separating the secrecy envelope from the signature envelope.
13.1.2.2 Report of Absentee Election Day Registrations
Polling place election judges who are registering voters on election day must have a report of those voters who
completed an election day registration while voting absentee. The SVRS reports Absentee Election Day Registrants
for Polling Place and Roster Supplement: Accepted Absentee Ballots for Election Day Registrants lists those AB
voters who received non-registered AB materials and whose ballots were marked “accepted” in the system. If a
voter’s name appears on these reports, they should not be allowed to register and vote because they have already
done so by absentee ballot.
For further information about this and other SVRS absentee reports for use by the ballot board, refer to Appendix
D.
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13.2 OPENING OF ENVELOPES AND STORAGE
The processing of ballots is not open to the public. Retrieve the accepted absentee ballots from secure
storage after close of business on the seventh day before the election. Confirm that the number of
envelopes matches the number expected. (When SVRS is used, count the number of accepted
envelopes, and compare to the number accepted in SVRS. In most cases, the two numbers should
match.) Once the roster is marked, separate the absentee ballot signature envelope from the ballot
secrecy envelope. Then, separate the ballot from the ballot secrecy envelope. Two ballot board
members initial in the Judge section of the ballot.
While initialing, the judges should check that the ballot style is that of the precinct being processed. (i.e.,
make sure that the municipality, ward, and precinct are a match, and that the voter was not issued an
incorrect ballot.) If it is found that the voter was issued the wrong ballot style, a duplicate of the ballot
should be made on the correct ballot style.
Once this check or the duplication process (if needed) is complete, the ballot (or the duplicated ballot)
should then be inserted into the tabulator. See section 13.2.1 for further information about the ballot
duplication process.
For each day that absentee ballots are processed, the ballot board must:
• remove the ballots from the ballot box
• ensure that the total number of ballots processed matches the total number accepted
• seal and secure all ballots
• keep ballots containing write-ins separate by precinct for later tallying (general election only). (Write-ins
cannot be counted until after polls close on election day.)
No vote totals from ballots may be made public before the close of voting on election day. (M.S. 203B.121,
subd. 5(c))
Note: An optional absentee ballot tracking spreadsheet template designed to aid in daily balancing and
confirming final totals is available at the following link: http://www.sos.state.mn.us/election-administration-
campaigns/election-administration/election-administrator-forms/.
13.2.1 Duplicating Ballots
As described above, there are circumstances that require a ballot be duplicated. In addition to the
issuance of the wrong ballot, other circumstances include:
• a damaged ballot
•
a ballot that is unreadable by the tabulator (i.e., the voter used the wrong type of marking
utensil or vote mark
•
a federal-only ballot
•
a presidential –only ballot
The ballot is still valid, so a duplicate ballot that the tabulator can count must be made. A duplicate
ballot replaces an original ballot. Two election judges from different major parties complete the
duplication process. When duplicating UOCAVA federal-only ballots or presidential-only ballots, be sure
to select the correct ballot style – e.g., the ballot for the voter’s Minnesota precinct
. (M.S. 203B.121, subd. 4)
13.2.1.1 Duplication Steps
1. Label ballots as ‘original 1’ and ‘duplicate 1.’ Number subsequent ballots consecutively.
2. Note the reason for duplication on the duplicate ballot. For example, write ‘torn ballot.’
3. One member reads the votes to the other member who marks the duplicate ballot accordingly.
4. If voter intent is in question, follow the principles laid out in M.S. 204C.22
for determining voter
intent.
5. Both board members initial both the original and duplicate ballots. When finished, both
members compare the ballots to be sure the duplicate matches the original.
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6. Insert the duplicate into the ballot counter.
7. Place the original in an envelope labeled ‘Original ballots for which duplicates have been made.’
(M.S. 206.86, subd. 5; M.R. 8230.3850
)
Figure 4 Ballot Duplication
13.2.2 Processing a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot
The procedure for processing Federal Write-in Absentee ballots for UOCAVA voters is different from
processing other absentee ballots. When the potential exists that an ‘official’ ballot could be returned
(e.g., the voter submitted an FPCA, was issued a ballot, then returned a FWAB), the FWAB cannot be
processed until after 8:00 p.m. on election night to allow for the receipt of the official ballot. If both a
FWAB and an official ballot are received for a voter, count only the official ballot. The FWAB should be
marked “rejected.”
If no official ballot was issued (e.g., voter did not previously submit an FPCA), a FWAB can be processed
beginning at the close of business on the seventh day before the election.
All FWABs will need to be duplicated by the absentee ballot board on an official ballot. The official ballot
should be the appropriate ballot style – that of the voter’s ward, precinct, and school district.
(M.R.
8210.2700)
Before separating the FWAB certificate from the secrecy envelope, check the voter’s classification and
note the appropriate ballot type (federal-only or full precinct) on the secrecy envelope. A ballot is
federal-only when the voter is indefinitely (permanently) away or has never resided in the United States.
A ballot is full precinct when the voter is in the military or is temporarily away.
When duplicating write-in votes for:
• federal offices – vote may be for a candidate’s name or a party name
• state, county, and local offices – vote must include the candidate’s name.
• state, county, or local office that is for only a political party - vote cannot be counted.
13.2.3 Safe at Home (SAH) Ballot Processing
Count accepted ballots for Safe at Home participants like non-registered absentee ballots. When ballot
processing occurs, include ballots cast by participants with the rest of the absentee ballots for a
precinct. As mentioned above, there is no SVRS record for these ballots. To balance counts for reporting
purposes, the Absentee Election Day Registrants Roster includes space for Safe at Home voters. An
Absentee Election Day Registrations Roster template is available in Appendix D. The absentee ballot
board members should write “SAH” followed by a sequential number on the AB EDR roster.
Figure 5 SAH section of Absentee Election Day Registrants Rosters
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14.0 ABSENTEE BALLOT BOARD DUTIES: CLOSE OF POLLS
Counting of absentee ballots can begin after the polls close on election day (after 8:00 p.m.) Two
members of the ballot board must conduct the count. If the members are election judges, they must be
of two different major political parties.
In the consolidated cases brought by Minnesota Voters Alliance in 2020 against Duluth, Minneapolis,
Ramsey County and Olmsted County, a district court judge determined that absentee ballot boards are
not independent bodies but are subsumed under other policymaking boards. This leads to the
conclusion that the Open Meeting Law does not apply and therefore does not require that the public be
admitted to the absentee ballot board. However, it also does not prohibit the county from voluntarily
allowing such observers.
If observers are allowed, they may not see or hear any private data that appears on the absentee ballot
envelope, or which is otherwise in the voter record, such as driver license or SSN numbers, complete
dates of birth, and the like. This presents logistical issues to be resolved at the county’s discretion.
The relevant portion of the judge’s opinion in Petitions of the Minnesota Voters Alliance et al for Writs
of Mandamus, Case no. 62-CV-20-4124, starts on p. 30 of that opinion. The state election’s director
emailed the opinion to counties in the October 22, 2020, weekly update.
(M.S. 203B.121, subd. 5(c); 206.86,
subd. 3)
14.1 STATE ELECTIONS
For state elections, the results must be tabulated by precinct. The absentee ballot board must submit at
least one summary statement for each precinct in the election to the auditor or municipal clerk. The
auditor or clerk may in turn certify reports containing details of the absentee ballot board summary
statements for the other required recipients of the summary statements (municipal clerk, school district
clerk, etc.).
When absentee ballots are counted centrally, results may be produced for each precinct by
• printing a separate summary statement for each precinct or
• producing segregated results for each precinct that can be identified and attached individually as part of
a complete summary statement for each precinct.
(M.R. 8230.3560)
When using the second option, ballot board members close the polls on the tabulator and do not run
the results tape. Instead, the administrators use the reporting management software to generate a
report. This report, together with the summary statistics for each precinct, is signed by the absentee
ballot board members.
A precinct’s absentee totals are added to its polling place totals, and this combined total (Absentee +
Polling Place) is reported and canvassed. This combining occurs in the Election Reporting System (ERS)
before precinct results are displayed on the OSS Election Night Results website or are printed in the
abstract of votes cast.
(M.S. 203B.121, subd. 5(b); 204C.27)
14.2 OTHER ELECTIONS
For elections other than state level elections, absentee results may be reported one of two ways:
• combined with the polling place totals (as is done for state elections) or
• reported as a single, separate total.
When a jurisdiction elects to report absentees as a separate grand total, the board completes one
absentee ballot board summary statement for the entire jurisdiction. For example, in a school district
special election that has five combined precincts, all absentees would be counted and reported together
as one total.
(M.S. 203B.121, subd. 5(b))
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14.3 COMPLETING WORK
If not completed previously, within 24 hours after the end of voting, members of the ballot board must
verify that voters whose absentee ballots arrived after the rosters were marked and supplemental
reports generated and whose ballots were accepted, did not vote in person on election day. If the
person voted on election day, the absentee ballot must be rejected. All other accepted absentee ballots
must be opened, duplicated if necessary and counted by the board. The vote totals must be
incorporated into the other absentee vote totals.
(M.S. 203B.121, subd. 5(c))
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15.0 POST-ELECTION DUTIES
After an election, several tasks must be completed. A post state general election absentee/mail ballot
checklist is included in Appendix D. Checklists for other elections will be similar.
15.1 RECORD RETENTION
The official carrying out the duties of M.S. chapter 203B is responsible for custody of absentee election
materials. Materials must be retained for at least 22 months from the date of the election unless
otherwise specified.
(M.S. 203B.06, subd. 5)
Materials include:
• AB ballots cast
• Defective and spoiled ballots
• AB Summary Statements
• Lists submitted by residential facilities
• Completed Oath of Challenge to Acceptance
of Absentee Ballot forms
• Incident log
• Absentee ballot applications (both filled and
rejected)
• Absentee ballot return envelopes (both
accepted and rejected)
All materials involved in a contested election must be retained for 22 months or until after the contest is
decided, whichever is later.
There is a separate retention schedule for UOCAVA records. The county auditor must retain UOCAVA
records for six years. This includes UOCAVA precinct records and application forms.
(M.S. 203B.19; 203B.26)
15.2 ABSENTEE VOTING HISTORY
Within six weeks after every election, the county auditor must post voting history for every person who
voted in the election. Registered absentee voters will have history added through the precinct polling
place roster. AB election day registrants will have their voter registration applications entered together
with those who registered at the polling place on election day.
(M.S. 201.171)
15.2.1 Processing Rosters
If absentee balloting is administered without the aid of SVRS, history must be posted manually using a
scanner and roster barcodes. When administrators use SVRS to manage absentee voting, the system can
be used to apply absentee voting history for those pre-registered voters with accepted ballots. Rather
than scanning the paper roster pages manually, a simple button click will mark the post voting history
(PVH) roster “A.B.” for all voters on the roster with an accepted absentee ballot.
Before beginning the posting process in the Post Voting History module, ensure that all absentee ballots
for the precinct are marked ‘accepted’ or ‘rejected’ in SVRS. Only those voters with a ballot in
“Accepted” status will have the “A.B.” notation added to the PVH roster. Once all ballots have been
marked, use the Apply Accepted AB/MB History button to apply AB history to the precinct’s roster. After
polling place voting history has been added, mark the roster complete and post the PVH history for the
precinct.
15.3 REJECTED OR LATE ABSENTEE BALLOTS
Although not counted in an election, rejected absentees or absentees received too late are considered a
vote for the purpose of continuing registration. So, voting history must also be added for regular and
UOCAVA absentee voters whose ballots were rejected by the ballot board or were received too late to
be counted and who did not otherwise vote in the election (e.g., did not vote by replacement absentee
ballot or in person at the polling place on election day).
For rejected non-registered envelopes, if the enclosed voter registration application is complete, use it
to register the voter. This would be entered as a regular application, not as an election day registration.
Rejected history does not need to be posted for voters in this situation, as their registration date serves
to keep them active through the annual list maintenance (ALM).
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Rejected or late absentee history is applied separately from history for accepted ballots. To post
rejected/late history, go to the Elections menu in SVRS, select Post Rejected or Late AB History. When
the SVRS Absentee Ballot module is used to administer absentees, ballots received too late should be
marked as ‘rejected received late’ through Returned AB Envelopes and then have late history posted
through Post Rejected or Late or AB History.
15.3.1 Notices of Rejection
After an election (including local special elections), a notice must be sent to each regular absentee voter
whose signature envelope was rejected. This notice is not sent to UOCAVA voters with rejected ballots.
A notice is not required if the regular absentee voter has successfully cast a ballot in the election (either
in person or by replacement absentee).
The official in charge of the ballot board is responsible for sending the notices of rejection. (e.g., If
municipal clerk designation to administer absentees includes administration of the ballot board, the city
or town clerk is responsible for the rejection notices.) All voting history (including election day
registrations) should be entered before mailing out these notices. Notices must be mailed between six
and 10 weeks following the election. If an absentee is rejected because it arrived after election day, the
notice must be provided between six and 10 weeks after the receipt of the signature envelope.
The notice of rejection must contain the following information: the date of rejection (or the date it was
received late), the reason for rejection and the contact information of the election official.
When the SVRS Absentee Ballot module is used, notices of rejection are available in SVRS under the
report category Absentee Ballot (county user) and Local AB (designated municipal user). The report is
titled Rejected AB Post-Election Notices. The system prevents these notices from being printed too early
– the option to print for a specific election will not be available in the dropdown list until six weeks after
the election date. Rejection notices are not generated for primaries.
(M.S. 203B.121, subd. 2(d))
15.4 UOCAVA SPECIFIC
15.4.1 UOCAVA Precinct Record
The county auditor must keep a separate record of UOCAVA voters for each precinct for each election.
After an election, ensure that all UOCAVA ballots have been marked ‘accepted’ or ‘rejected’ in SVRS.
After all records have been marked, generate a UOCAVA Precinct Record report for each precinct in the
election. This report is in SVRS Reports, under the category Absentee Ballot or Absentee Ballot Board.
The UOCAVA Precinct Record must be retained for six years.
(M.S. 203B.26)
For further information on the retention of election materials see section 15.1 above.
15.4.2 Statistics Reporting
The county auditor must provide a UOCAVA statistics report to OSS following the state general election.
No later than 60 days after the state general, the auditor must report to the OSS the number of
absentee ballots transmitted to, and returned and cast by, UOCAVA voters. In preparation for creating
this report, verify that no UOCAVA ballots remain in “Initialized” or “Received” status in SVRS.
UOCAVA statistics for each county are compiled by SVRS and available in the report UOCAVA Statistics
Certification. This report is in SVRS Reports, under the category Absentee Ballot. The auditor must
submit a certified copy of the report to OSS.
The OSS in turn must report these absentee statistics to the EAC within 90 days of the state general
election.
(M.S. 203B.19)
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APPENDIX A - SAMPLE FORMS
ABSENTEE BALLOT BOARD RESOLUTION
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
[insert county name], MINNESOTA
Date:
Resolution Number:
Motion by Commissioner:
Seconded by Commissioner:
________________________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION NO. [insert resolution number]; ESTABLISHING AN ABSENTEE BALLOT BOARD
WHEREAS, [insert county name] is required by Minnesota Statutes 203B.121, Subd. 1 to
establish an Absentee Ballot Board; and
WHEREAS, this board will bring uniformity in the processing of accepting or rejecting returned
absentee ballots in [insert county name]; and
WHEREAS, the Absentee Ballot Board must consist of a sufficient number of election judges
appointed as provided in sections 204B.19 to 204B.22; and
WHEREAS, the Absentee Ballot Board may include deputy county auditors trained in the
processing and counting of absentee ballots;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT, the [insert county name] Board of Commissioners
hereby establishes an Absentee Ballot Board effective [month day year] to perform the required tasks.
COMMISSIONERS VOTE
Yes____ No____ Absent____ Abstain____
Yes____ No____ Absent____ Abstain____
Yes____ No____ Absent____ Abstain____
Yes____ No____ Absent____ Abstain____
Yes____ No____ Absent____ Abstain____
________________________________________________________________________________
STATE OF MINNESOTA
[insert county name]
I, [insert county administrator name], duly appointed qualified and County Administrator for the
[insert county name], State of Minnesota, do whereby certify that I have compared the foregoing
copy of a resolution with the original minutes of the proceedings of the Board of County
Commissioners, [insert county name], Minnesota at their session held on the ____ day of ____,
2016 now on file in my office, and have found the same to be a true and correct copy thereof.
Witness my hand and official seal at [insert city name], Minnesota, this ____ day of ____, [year].
____________________________ County Administrator
_____________________________ Administrator’s Designee
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ABSENTEE BALLOT AGENT RETURN LOG
Absentee Ballot Agent Return Record
Instructions to the Agent:
1. Complete the following information 2. Show identification containing your name and signature
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DIRECT BALLOTING VOTER’S CERTIFICATE
The voter’s certificate used for direct balloting must include the voter’s name, identification number and
the oath required by M.S. 201.071.
(M.S. 203B.081) A voter’s certificate is included on the reverse of the
Direct Balloting version of the regular absentee ballot application form. An alternative certificate sample
(including multiple signature lines) is included directly below.
Election Name: ____________________________________ Election Date: ___________________
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APPENDIX B - HEALTH CARE FACILITY OUTREACH
The auditor or clerk must facilitate absentee voting for health care facilities (HCFs) within their
jurisdiction before each election. Minnesota Statutes provides for outreach during the 20 days before an
election.
(M.S. 203B.11, subd. 2)
PREPARING FOR HCF OUTREACH
Voter Registration
To facilitate a simpler absentee voting experience, auditors or clerks can work with the facility to ensure
that residents are registered to vote, and the registrations are up to date. Voters would not then have to
complete non-registered materials when voting during outreach.
List of Employees
Facilities can submit a certified list of employees to the auditor at least 20 days before the election.
Employees on this list can vouch for an unlimited number of residents.
Absentee Ballot Applications
Distribute absentee applications to HCFs in advance of outreach day to be able to prepare absentee
materials for voters prior to the visit. However, blank materials (application forms and envelopes)
should also be included in outreach supplies.
Supplies
• Sealed container to hold and transport AB envelopes containing voted ballots
• HCF election judge identification badges (must not show party affiliation)
• Forms
o absentee ballot applications
o election day VRAs
o Precinct List of Persons Vouchin
g
• Ballo
ts
• Lists
o Master list (registered voter list)
o absentee voter list (list of those with accepted absentee ballots)
o Certified List of Employees of Residential Facilities (if provided by HCF)
• Envelopes
o ballot secrecy
o signature – both registered and nonregistered
• Instructions – both registered and nonregistered
• Incident log
• “I Voted” stickers
• ‘Table’ booths
ELECTION JUDGE RESPONSIBILITIES
Deliver Materials to HCF
During the 20 days before an election, at least two election judges from different major parties will pick
up the materials from the auditor or clerk and travel in the same car to the health care facility. HCF
election judges must wear identification badges that show their role in the election process.
(M.S. 204C.06,
subd. 2 (c))
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HCF election judges should locate the room and set up to ensure privacy for voters. Judges should
c
oordinate with the HCF staff to determine which voters are still in their rooms and will need to be
approached individually.
In accordance with M.S. 211B.11
, campaign materials are prohibited in the polling place. As such, these
materials cannot be worn or displayed in the room used for HCF AB outreach.
Each voter must complete an AB application. The form can be completed before or during HCF outreach.
The following information must be provided on the application:
• name
• date of birth
• Minnesota driver’s license or identification card number, or the last four digits of their social security
number, or affirmation that the voter does not have any of these
• residential address
• voter’s signature and signature date
o applications must be signed by the person requesting the ballot. Power of attorney does not
apply to voting. An applicant may ask other person to sign for them in their presence; that
individual must sign their own name as well.
(M.S. 523.24, subd. 14)
Using the absentee voter list, verify that the applicant has not already submitted a request and/or voted
by absentee ballot. (For instance, if a voter submitted a request through the mail.)
Verify Resident’s Voter Registration Status
Verify the voter’s registration using the master list supplied by the auditor or clerk. If the voter is
registered, issue registered absentee ballot materials.
Voters who are not registered or whose registration status indicates “challenged,” must complete non-
registered materials. These materials include an EDR voter registration application.
Assist in the Completion of VRAs
Unregistered applicants or “challenged” voters must complete a VRA. When filling out the VRA, the
voter must provide proof of residence. A judge must complete the Official Use Only portion of the VRA
indicating which proof was shown. The witness will also record the proof on the signature envelope.
Voters may use any of the proofs available to election day registrants. The following is an abbreviated
list of acceptable proofs:
• a valid MN driver’s license or ID card, or receipt for any of these
• a tribal ID card containing a photo and signature
• a valid registration in the same precinct under a different name or address
• a notice of late registration sent by county auditor or city clerk
• a voter registered in the same precinct who can confirm voter’s address with a signed oath
• an employee of the residential facility who can confirm voter’s address with a signed oath
• both 1) an acceptable photo ID and 2) an acceptable bill.
For a complete list of election day proofs of residence, please see M.R. 8200.5100.
The most common proof of residence used by HCF voters is a voucher. As summarized above, there are
two types of vouchers: employee vouchers and registered voter vouchers.
1. Employee Vouchers
If the facility submitted the certified list of employees to the county auditor by the deadline, employees
may vouch for an unlimited number of residents. Employees on this list do not need to show any other
identification to vouch for a resident of the facility.
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If no list has been provided, or an employee is not on the list, an employee can still vouch for a voter so
lo
ng as they can demonstrate their employment at the facility. Proof of employment may be
accomplished by methods including providing an employee identification badge or providing a
statement on the facility’s letterhead that the individual is an employee of the facility and is signed and
dated by a manager or equivalent officer of the facility.
HCF judges should have the voucher complete the Voucher Form on the reverse side of the VRA. This
type of voucher does not need to be recorded on the Precinct List of Persons Vouching form.
Figure 6 Voucher Form
Although usually completed by judges, employee vouchers may also serve as the witness on the voter’s
signature envelope if they are a registered voter in Minnesota.
2. Registered Voter Vouchers
Someone who is registered in the same precinct as the HCF resident may vouch for them. Voter
vouchers can vouch for up to eight residents if they personally know the resident(s) live in the same
precinct. HCF election judges can serve as voucher if they reside in the HCF precinct.
Election judges should have the voucher complete the Voucher Form on the reverse side of the VRA.
Once completed, the election judges should obtain the voucher’s voter ID number and record it on the
Precinct List of Persons Vouching form. Judges must use this form to keep count of the number of
residents that a particular voter has vouched for.
Figure 7 Precinct List of Persons Vouching form
Registered voter vouchers may witness the voter’s signature envelope.
Provide Voter Assistance as Requested
Two judges of different major parties may provide assistance to mark a ballot according to the voter’s
direction. An election judge team does not have a limit to the number of voters they can assist. Judges
should always ask before helping a voter. All questions should be directed to the voter themselves, not
to others who may be with the voter.
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A voter may als
o obtain assistance from another person instead of asking the HCF election judges. An
individual providing assistance in marking a ballot can now do so for an unlimited number of voters. The
individual selected by the voter cannot be the voter’s employer, or an officer of the voter’s union.
Candidates are now allowed to assist in marking voters’ ballots. Election judges and other individuals
providing assistance must not influence the voter.
(M.S. 204C.15)
Before placing the ballot in the secrecy envelope, the voter may show it privately to an election judge to
confirm that it is marked correctly according to their direction.
(M.S. 204C.15, subd. 1)
Ensure Proper Completion of Signature Envelope
HCF judges should be sure that the voter’s ballot is sealed into the secrecy envelope, and that the
signature envelope is properly completed.
For registered absentee voters:
The HCF Judge completes voter name and voter address fields (if no label affixed)
The voter completes:
• ID number (must be the same as provided on the application)
• Voter’s signature
The witness completes:
• Witness name
• MN residential address, or title if an official or notary
(use title of ‘Election Judge’ if judge witnesses the ballot; provide personal residence address if HCF
employee witnesses the ballot)
• Witness signature.
For non-registered absentee voters:
The HCF Judge completes voter name and voter address fields (if no label affixed)
The voter completes:
• Voter Registration Application (include in the signature envelope)
• ID number (must be the same as provided on the application)
• Voter’s signature
The witness completes:
• Witness name
• MN residence address, or title if an
official or notary
(use title of ‘Election Judge’ if judg
e
w
itnesses the ballot; provide residence
address if HCF employee witnesses the
ballot)
• Proof of personal residence provided by
voter
• Witness signature
Deposit the signature envelopes containing the marked absentee ballots in the sealed container. Record
any unusual events or problems that occurred during HCF outreach on the incident log. Return the voted
ballots and materials to the auditor or clerk on the same day that they are delivered and marked.
(M.S.
203B.11, subd. 1)
Note: An HCF voter may submit an absentee ballot application but decide not to vote during HCF outreach. If
this occurs, all materials are to be returned to the auditor/clerk. When the SVRS AB module is used to
administer absentee ballots and this occurs, the ballot can be left in “Sent” status in the system, as this
reflects the real-world situation (e.g., a ballot was provided to the voter, but they did not vote it).
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APPENDIX C – ABSENTEE BALLOT BOARD GUIDELINES
BALLOT BOARD RECOMMENDED GUIDELINES FOR ACCEPTING/REJECTING BALLOTS
M.S. 203B.121; M.R. 8210.2450
The county auditor or municipal/school clerk will provide returned absentee ballot envelopes to the
ballot board. Two members of the board of different major political parties will review the envelopes to
determine acceptance or rejection pursuant to M.S. 203B.121 and M.R. 8210.2450
and return the
envelopes to the county auditor or municipal/school district clerk.
Voter Section
Voter name and address is already on label or hand entered by election official.
• Ballot is rejected if voter changes label to a different name or address than one on the
application.
• Use of, or lack of, full names, nicknames, abbreviations, or initials on either document are not a
reason for rejection.
• M.S. 203B.121, subd. 2 (b) (1); M.R. 8210.2450, subp. 2
• Accepted examples: A-1, A-2
Rejection examples: R-1, R-
2
Voter has signed the certification on the envelope
• Ballot is rejected if the name signed is clearly a different name than the name printed on the
signature envelope (i.e., John Smith envelope signed by Mary Jones).
• Ballot is rejected if no voter signature on the envelope.
• Voter signature outside of signature box and/or voter section is accepted; if not legible then
different from witness signature.
• M.S. 203B.121, subd. 2 (b) (2); 203B.121, subd. 2 (b) (5); M.R. 8210.2450, subp. 2
• Accepted examples: A-1, A-2, A-3, A-4, A-5, A-8
R
ejection examples: R-3, R-4, R-5
If ID number transposed or no ID number is provided on the envelope, the numbers do not match and
signature must be compared.
• Use of, or lack of, full names, nicknames, abbreviations, or initials within either signature are
not a reason for rejection.
• A signature is considered the voter’s even if a voter uses a signature mark on either or both
documents, or if a voter has another individual or different individuals sign the voter’s name in
their presence on either or both documents. In this case, the other individual’s signature w
ill
fo
llow.
• M.S. 203B.121, subd. 2 (b) (3); M.R. 8210.2450, subp. 3
• Accepted examples: A-6, A-7, A-9, A-13
Rejection examples: R-6
Witness Section
Witness has signed the statement on the envelope
• Witness signature outside of signature box and/or witness section is accepted if legible enough
to know it is a signature and not a scribble.
• M.S. 203B.121, subd. 2 (b) (5); M.R. 8210.2450, subp. 5
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• A
ccepted examples: A-1, A-10
Rejected examples: R-8, R-9
Witness has provided a MN address, or provided a title indicating eligible to administer oaths, or has
affixed a notarial stamp
• Witness address of PO Box is not a MN address.
• Witness address containing no street address, but a city name is not a MN address.
• Witness address containing no city name is not a MN address.
• Witness address containing another state or country is not a MN address, i.e., Phoenix AZ
written in before pre-printed MN.
Note: There are a few exceptions, as some border MN townships have IA, ND, or SD mailing
addresses. Known acceptable mailing addresses are:
o Iowa
Chester, IA 52134 (Beaver Twp, York Twp in Fillmore County)
Lake Park, IA 51347 (Sioux Valley Twp in Jackson County)
Lime Spring, IA 52155 (York Twp in Fillmore County)
Spirit Lake, IA 51360 (Middletown Twp, Minnesota Twp in Jackson County)
o North Dakota
Drayton, ND 58225 (Teien Twp in Kittson County)
Fairmount, ND 58030 (Taylor Twp in Traverse County)
o South Dakota
Elkton, SD 57026 (Drammen Twp, Verdi Twp in Lincoln County)
Garretson, SD 57030 (Beaver Creek Twp, Springwater Twp in Rock County)
Valley Springs, SD 57068 (Beaver Creek Twp in Rock County)
Ward, SD (Altona Twp, Troy Twp in Pipestone County)
• Witness address containing a well-known city name outside of MN, but state/country is not
listed, and pre-printed MN remains, AB board should satisfy themselves there is a MN
jurisdiction with that name, i.e., Phoenix, Salt Lake City, La Jolla are not MN jurisdictions.
Examples of well-known names of municipalities which do exist in MN are:
o Atlanta Twp
o Berlin Twp
o Bismarck Twp
o Brooklyn
Center
o Brooklyn Park
o Chisago City
o Cleveland
o Little Chicago
o Denver Twp
o Detroit Twp
o Detroit Lakes
o Hollywood
Twp
o Houston
o Madison
o Moscow Twp
o New
Germany
o New London
o New York
Mills
o Ottawa Twp
o Reno
o San Francisco
Twp
o Springfield
o Warsaw
o Washington
Twp
• Titles indicating the ability to administer oaths and therefore eligible to be a witness include the
following (and their deputies):
o Election Judge
o State Senator
o State Representative
o County Commissioner
o County Auditor
o County Recorder
o Municipal Clerk
o Municipal Recorder
• A notary public must apply their notary stamp.
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• M.
S. 203B.121, subd. 2 (b) (5); 358.10; M.R. 8210.2450, subp. 5
• Accepted examples: A-1, A-11, A-12, A-14, A-15, A-16
Rejected examples: R-10, R-11, R-12, R-13, R-14, R-15, R-19, R-21
Voter Registration Status
Voter is registered under the name and at the address on the signature envelope.
• Determine registration status using SVRS, master list or polling place roster produced from SVRS
• Voter who is not registered, whose registration is inactive, who has a “see ID” notation, or
w
hose registration is challenged must include a properly completed voter registration
application with the absentee signature envelope.
• If sent non-registered materials and voter is not registered:
o Proof of residence box on envelope must be marked
o Properly completed VRA must be in the signature envelope. If not found in signature
envelope, board members shall open the ballot envelope, and without examining or
removing the ballot, remove any VRA from the ballot envelope and immediately reseal
ballot envelope with ballot enclosed, initialing across the seal and nothing on the ballot
envelope the purpose for which it was opened.
• A voter registration application returned separately from the signature envelope after the voter
registration deadline is a late registration and may not be used as a registration for the current
election.
• M.S. 203B.121 subd. 2 (4); M.R. 8210.2450, subp. 4
• Accepted example: A-13, A-14, A-15
Rejected examples: R-16, R-17, R-18, R-20
Ballot Already Cast
Voter has not already voted either in person or, if after close of business on 7
th
day before the
election, by absentee ballot.
• If received before close of business 7
th
day, then previously submitted ballot is deemed spoiled
and not counted.
• Is rejected if envelope received after close of business on 7
th
day and another ballot has been
accepted for the voter.
• M.S. 203B.121, subd. 2 (6); M.R. 8210.2450 subp. 6
Voter has Died
Voter is known to have died.
• If an absentee voter is known to have died, registration record should be marked as ‘deceased’.
Voter is no longer eligible to vote, and ballot should be rejected (if it has not been separated as
of yet).
• M.S. 201.13; M.S. 203B.121, subd. 4
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ACCEPTED ABSENTEE BALLOT ENVELOPE EXAMPLES
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REJECTED ABSENTEE BALLOT ENVELOPE EXAMPLES
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SAMPLE NOTICE OF BALLOT REJECTION AND REPLACEMENT SAMPLE
[Date]
[Voter’s Name/Address]
Notice of Ballot Rejection and Replacement
Dear [Voter’s Name],
Your absentee ballot from the [date and election name i.e., 8/9/2022 State Primary] was rejected by the
absentee ballot board for the reason checked below:
The voter’s name on the signature envelope does not match the applicant’s name
The voter’s address on the signature envelope does not match the applicant’s address
The voter did not sign the signature envelope
The numbers provided on the signature envelope do not match the application or voter record
a
nd the voter and application signatures do not match
A voter registration application was not included in the signature envelope
The voter registration application was not signed
The voter registration application did not include all required information
The witness did not sign the signature envelope
The witness did not provide either a Minnesota address, official title, or notary stamp
The witness did not mark proof of residence used by the voter
The rejected ballot will not be counted.
A replacement ballot, instructions and envelope are enclosed. To have a vote counted in this election,
you may:
• Follow the instructions and complete and return the replacement ballot, or
• Vote an absentee ballot in person at our office, or
• Vote in person at your polling place on election day.
If you have any questions regarding your absentee ballot, please contact the [county/city/school district
name] election office by phone at [phone #] or by email at [email address].
Sincerely,
[county/city/school district name] Elections
Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State
90
Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State
91
APPENDIX D - LISTS, CHECKLISTS AND OTHER SAMPLES
STATE ADULT CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES LIST
The following list of state adult correctional facilities was submitted to OSS by the Department of
Corrections in compliance with M.S. 203B.06, subd. 3(a)
.
An AB application that provides an address included on the list below must not be accepted, and an
absentee ballot must not be provided to the applicant. The county auditor or municipal clerk must
promptly transmit a copy of the applicant to the county attorney. The complete statutes citation is
included below.
Adult Correctional Facilities
MCF-Faribault
1101 Linden Lane
Faribault, MN 55021
MCF-Lino Lakes
7525 Fourth Avenue
Lino Lakes, MN 55014
MCF-Oak Park Heights
5329 Osgood Avenue North
Stillwater, MN 55082
MCF-Moose Lake
1000 Lake Shore Drive
Moose Lake, MN 55767
MCF-Red Wing
1079 Highway 292
Red Wing, MN 55066
MCF-Rush City
7600 - 525
th
Street
Rush City, MN 55069
MCF-St Cloud
2305 Minnesota Boulevard SE
St Cloud, MN 56304
MCF-Shakopee
1010 West Sixth Avenue
Shakopee, MN 55379
MCF-Stillwater
970 Pickett Street
Bayport, MN 55003
MCF-Togo
62742 Co Rd 551
Togo, MN 55723
MCF-Willow River
86032 County Highway 61
Willow River, MN 55795
M.S. 203B.06, subd. 3. Delivery of Ballots. (a) The commissioner of corrections must provide the
secretary of state with a list of the names and mailing addresses of state adult correctional facilities. An
application for an absentee ballot that provides an address included on the list provided by the
commissioner of corrections must not be accepted and an absentee ballot must not be provided to the
applicant. The county auditor or municipal clerk must promptly transmit a copy of the application to the
county attorney. The Department of Corrections must implement procedures to ensure that absent
ee
ballots issued under
chapter 203B are not received or mailed by offenders incarcerated at state adult
correctional facilities.
Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State
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Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State
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SAMPLE IN-PERSON ABSENTEE BALLOT ISSUANCE (WITH ENVELOPES)
Registered Voter
• Have voter fill out absentee ballot
application. Check for completeness
and legibility.
• Check voter’s name and address on the
voter master list or in SVRS. (If name or
address is different, voter receives non-
registered materials.) Enter the
application in SVRS and print envelope
labels. Complete “official use only”
portion of application (or attached
application label) and file as instructed.
• Select the ballot that matches the
precinct and school district the voter
resides in as indicated in the
registration record. Precinct and school
district also indicated on Env. 2 label.
Apply label to envelope.
• Provide the ballot, a tan secrecy
envelope, and a registered voter
signature envelope.
• After the voter has sealed their
completed ballot in the secrecy
envelope, and completed the signature
envelope, seal and complete the
witness portion of the signature
envelope.
• Give the voter an “I VOTED” sticker.
[Optional]
Non-Registered Voter
• Check voter’s name and address on the
voter master list or in SVRS to confirm
the voter is not registered.
• Have voter fill out both the voter
registration (VRA) and absentee ballot
applications. Check them for
completeness and legibility. [After pre-
registration cut-off.]
• Ask the voter for proof of residence.
Use the “Election Day Registration”
poster for list of acceptable proofs of
residence.
• Enter the application in SVRS, print
labels and apply to envelope and VRA.
Complete “official use only” portion of
application (or attach application label)
and file as instructed.
• Select the ballot that matches the
precinct and school district the voter
resides in (using precinct finder).
Precinct and school district also
indicated on Env. 2 label.
• Provide the ballot, a tan secrecy
envelope, and a non-registered voter
signature envelope. Remind them to
put the VRA into the signature
envelope and not into the secrecy
envelope.
• After the voter has sealed their
completed ballot into the secrecy
envelope, and completed the signature
envelope, seal and complete the
witness portion of the signature
envelope including the proof of
residence type.
• Give the voter an “I VOTED” sticker.
[Optional]
Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State
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Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State
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AGENT PICK-UP AND RETURN PROCESS
Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State
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Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State
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SAMPLE DIRECT BALLOTING (ABSENTEE VOTING WITHOUT ENVELOPE) PROCESS
Voting Process
1. Voter completes (‘DB’ version of) absentee application
2. Staff asks voter if they want to insert ballot into tabulator, or if they want to use envelopes
3. If voter chooses without envelopes, staff creates absentee record in SVRS using one of th
e
D
irect Balloting options (Registered or New) and prints the labels. The ballot is automatically
marked “Accepted”.
4. Staff pulls ballot from appropriate precinct split
5. Staff hands ballot application, labels, and ballot to verifying staff member
6. Verifying staff member ensures information is correct, puts signature envelope label (#2) on
voter certificate on reverse of the absentee application and voter signs certificate and provides
their ID number
7. Verifying staff provides ballot instructions to voter and hands ballot to voter and directs to
voting booth
8. Voter votes ballot and inserts into tabulator
Administrative Process
1. End of day
a. Note ballot count from tabulator screen on spreadsheet
b. Two ballot board members remove ballots from tabulator, verify number of ballots by
precinct to the signature certificates and tabulator screen
c. Note number of ballots on spreadsheet
d. Two members initial all ballots
e. Seal ballots in envelopes by precinct with date label and number of ballots scanned on
each envelope
f. Push “Power” button on tabulator
g. Press “CONTINUE POWER DOWN” on screen
h. When powered down, remove memory stick
i. Place envelope with sealed ballots in transfer case in secure location
j. Seal memory stick into envelope and place in secure location
k. Seal signature oath pages in envelope and place in box in secure location
2. Beginning of day
a. Retrieve memory stick from elections vault, log unsealing of envelope, and place in
tabulator
b. Press Tabulator’s “Power” button
c. When powered on, press “CONTINUE” if “Diverter not found” message appears
d. Press “CONTINUE VOTING” on screen
e. Note ballot count on screen for beginning of day on spreadsheet
f. Place new signature oath sheets at counter
3. 8:00 p.m. on election day
a. Push “Close Polls” button on tabulator
b. Press “Summary Totals” for total summary of votes cast
c. When printing is complete, remove memory stick and bring to assigned staff member
fo
r upload
Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State
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Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State
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TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR USING SVRS ABSENTEE BALLOT MODULE
"The secretary of state must identify hardware, software, security, or other technical prerequisites necessary to ensure the
security, access controls, and performance of the statewide voter registration system." M.S. 203B.05
Municipalities that have been designated to administer absentee ballots using SVRS must have the following
hardware, software, and related supplies.
I. At least one PC running Windows (number of computers required will depend upon jurisdiction size and
absentee voting activity level)
• PC(s) must have current malware and anti-virus protection software installed
Windows 10+ is recommended
o Windows 10: November 2021 Update installed (21H2) or soon to be installed if have
20H2 installed.
o Windows 11: 21H2 (The original release for Windows 11)
• Static IP address (CANNOT be unsecured, open Wi-Fi, i.e., guest user for library, lobby, etc.). Consult
your IT staff to determine how your IP address is configured.
• Broad internet connection
• Google Chrome Version 102+ and Microsoft Edge Version 94+
• Adobe Reader DC Version 20.xxx.xxxxx or higher
2. Each SVRS user must have a work-issued email account
3. Dymo Labelwriter"' 400, 450, or 450 Turbo
• The Dymo Labelwriter
t
" is highly recommended for walk-up AB voting and for printing individual
AB labels.
• Dymo address labels should be 1-1/8" by 3-1/2"
4. Laser Printer for printing reports
• Do not use a Hewlett-Packard V model if a laser printer will be used for printing sheet labels
(absentee labels)
5. Barcode wand reader for processing barcodes
• Note: OSS does not provide recommendations on product brands. Consult with county/municipal
election administrators for product feedback.
6. Optional: If the jurisdiction intends to scan their absentee ballot applications, the following is required:
• Scanner with software capable of creating a separate file for each AB application (document
feeder recommended).
In addit
ion to the requirements above, when a municipality has been designated to administer ABS:
1. Auditor must record the designation in the SVRS profile for the municipality. With the Designated
for State and County checkboxes, specify whether the municipality Issues AB and/or Has AB Board.
The box(es) must be checked for the MCD before SVRS access will be granted or training provided.
2. Designated municipality must complete the access request survey. (In order to access SVRS, the IP
addresses of computers that will be used to administer AB must be submitted to OSS.)
3. At least one person from each designated municipality must complete the OSS SVRS training course or
an OSS-approved SVRS training course.
Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State
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Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State
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SVRS ABSENTEE REPORTS
As described in section 13.1.2, when SVRS is used to administer absentee voting there are reports
available to assist with marking accepted ABs on polling place rosters and to create a list of absentee
election day registrants. Once rosters are generated in the system, voters with an accepted AB are listed
on the Roster Supplement reports. These reports are in the SVRS Report Category Absentee Ballot
Board. There are four reports:
Absentee Election Day Registrants for Polling Place
Figure 8 Absentee Election Day Registrants for Polling Place Report
Content: Lists voters who received non-registered AB materials and whose ballots were accepted.
Note: Voters with “Challenged” or “See ID” notations appear on both this report and the Roster Supplement:
Accepted Absentees for Registered Voters report because they have an existing line in the roster, but due to
the notation on their record, must register to vote.
Purpose: For use by Polling Place EDR judges on election day. Judges can review the list before
registering each voter on election day; if voters name appears on this list, the voter should not be
permitted to register and vote as they have already done so by absentee ballot. Providing report to
judges removes need to hand-write AB EDRs into EDR pages of precinct’s roster.
When to run: Run after all ballots received by close of business on the seventh day before the election
have been marked “accepted” in SVRS.
Tips:
• Omit the start date to ensure no ballots are missed. Leave the end date blank to include all records
through the time of printing.
• DO NOT use this report to mark “A.B.” on roster signature lines. Instead, use Roster Supplement:
Accepted Absentees for Registered Voters report.
Roster Supplement: Accepted Absentee Ballots for Registered Voters
Figure 9 Roster Supplement: Accepted Absentee Ballots for Registered Voters Report
Content: Lists registered voters with accepted ABs who do not have “A.B.” pre-printed in the roster.
Purpose: Use when manually marking “A.B.” on rosters for registered voters with accepted ballot.
Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State
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When to run: B
egin printing this report any time after rosters have been created.
Tips:
• Regardless of date range selected, this report will never include the names of voters whose ballots were
ac
cepted before rosters were generated. Notations for these voters are already printed in the roster.
• Leaving start date and time blank will ensure that report includes the day that rosters were generated.
• To ensure the report contains all accepted ballots for a given day, run it the morning of the following day
.
Roster Supplement: Accepted Absentee Ballots for Election Day Registrants
Figure 10 Roster Supplement: Accepted Absentee Ballots for Election Day Registrants Report
Content: Lists voters who received non-registered AB materials and whose ballots were accepted.
Purpose: Serves as a supplement to the Absentee Election Day Registrants for Polling Place report,
covering any dates that this report does not include. For use by AB board members when checking to
see if a voter has registered and voted in person on election day. If voter has not voted, polling place
judges add the AB voter’s name to the Absentee Election Day Registrants for Polling Place report. If the
voter has already voted in person, AB board members write “signed” on this report and change the
absentee ballot status to “Rejected.”
When to run: After the Absentee Election Day Registrants for Polling Place report has been run.
Tips:
• Run for the date range not covered by the AB EDR for Polling Place report.
• DO NOT make AB notation in polling place roster for voters on this report.
Absentee Election Day Registrants Roster
Figure 11 Absentee Election Day Registrants Roster
Content: Lists voters who received non-registered AB materials and whose ballots were accepted.
Purpose: To be generated after election. This is a final roster by precinct of all absentee election day
registrants to be retained with the polling place rosters for a complete record. Rather than enter all AB
EDRs into the roster by hand, use this report. This report includes space to account for Safe at Home
voters.
When to run: Print this report after all absentee ballots have been accepted/rejected and the election
has passed.
Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State
103
ABSENTEE ELECTION DAY REGISTRANTS ROSTER TEMPLATE
Figure 12 Absentee Election Day Registrants Roster Template
Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State
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Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State
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ABSENTEE AND MAIL BALLOT POST-STATE GENERAL ELECTION SVRS CHECKLIST
Ballot Records
To be completed for each precinct before starting to post voter history
Ensure all accepted and rejected envelopes have been marked as such in SVRS
Process any ballots remaining in Received status in SVRS
Review ballots remaining in Initialized status in SVRS and address as appropriate. DO NOT leave
in Initialized status
Online Application Queue
To be completed as soon as possible following election day
Process online AB applications remaining in county or municipality queues
o UOCAVA apps, unless deficient, should be accepted.
NOTE: Be sure to process any accompanying voter registration in SVRS Voter
Registration >> Pending Applications >> Source: FPCA Queued for Processing before
processing the AB request.
o Regular apps that were not filled should be marked as Rejected.
Envelopes Received Late
To be completed when envelopes are received by office
Absentee and mail ballots received late must be:
o Marked as Received in SVRS through Received AB Envelopes
o Marked with appropriate Rejected – Received Late reason in SVRS through Returned AB
Envelopes
NOTE: Uncheck the Resend Ballot checkbox before scanning barcode or clicking
Record Ballot button else, a new ballot will be added when will need to be delete
d.
o Given Late History through Elections >> Post Rejected or Late AB History
Envelopes Rejected by Ballot Board
To be completed as soon as possible after ‘normal’ voter history has been posted
Voters with rejected AB or MB and who did not otherwise vote in the election (by replacemen
t
o
r in person) must receive Rejected History through Elections >> Post Rejected or Late AB
History.
UOCAVA Statistics Certification
To be completed no later than 60 days after the state general election
Run and review the UOCAVA Statistics Certification report to verify the data is accurate. Afte
r
v
erification, submit a signed certification report to OSS via email (elections.dept@state.mn.us
)
or by fax (651-296-9073).
Rejected AB Post-Election Notices
To be completed 6-10 weeks after the election or 6-10 weeks after receipt of late ballot
Send notice to voters whose regular absentee ballots were rejected and who did not otherwise
vote in the election (by replacement absentee or in person).
o Use SVRS report Rejected AB Post-Election Notices
Report will not be available for election until 6 weeks after election date.
NOTE: This notice is not required for UOCAVA or Mail Ballot voters.
Office of the Minnesota Secretary of
State Elections
Division
2022 Absentee Voting Administration Guide
Updated 6-13-2024 (Absentee Ballot Board
resolution update)
