It is officially fall and it is that time of year… time for apple picking, pumpkin spice lattes and voting. Yep, you heard that right! The Saint Paul elections are coming up on November 5th 2019. It’s okay—no need to panic! I am here and I’m going to answer some basic questions and tell you some things you need to know about the big day.
Who am I even voting for?
Great question! There are several things we get to vote for this year in Saint Paul. The big one is city councilor. There are two main people voting for city council. These people are Mitra Jalali Nelson and Tarrence Robertson-Bayless. I am not going to tell you about them since you need to research them, (link to Ballotpedia) and pick the one you agree with more. (Also I am a bit biased since I am working on Mitra’s campaign. Here is my plug: she is super cool!) There are also school board members that you can research and vote for too!
Mitra Jalali Nelson Campaign button. Thumbnail photo taken by Evelyn Harrison.
When do I vote?
November 5th from 7 am to 8 pm.
Where do I vote?
Hamline students can vote at the Hamline church. (Big building across the street from Sorin Hall with the pride flag.) In order to register to vote, you can either register here before election day, or register at the polling location on election day with documents that show proof of name and current address.
Hamline church. Photo taken by Evelyn Harrison.
I am not from Saint Paul or Minnesota in general and I am only here for school. Can I vote here?
YES! (with a few stipulations)
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You must be registered to vote here in Saint Paul (at least 21 days before the election)
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You must be at least 18 AND a US citizen
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You can only vote in one place. (As in, don’t vote here and then go home and vote in your hometown election too.)
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You must have lived in Minnesota for at least 20 days
I can’t go vote on November 5th. Is there any way I can vote early?
YES! You can vote up to 46 days before the election by either voting at your election place or by mailing an absentee ballot.
If you have any other questions, the Secretary of State’s office website has a lot of really good information. I hope this helped. Get out and vote!