Be Sure To Check Your Polling Place In Minneapolis; The City Says 40 Percent Have Been Moved
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Voters in Minneapolis should expect significant changes to the polling process on Tuesday's primary, as this will be the city's first election since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak.
First off: Your polling place might have moved. The city says 50 of its 125 polling places were moved, particularly if they were located in residential buildings. (To check your polling place, click here.)
RELATED: WCCO's Minnesota Primary Guide
Voters will be asked to wear a mask. For those that refuse to wear one or have a medical reason not to, they'll be able to vote outside the polling place, in a designated area. Curbside voting will also be an option.
Those entering polling places will be asked to use hand sanitizer at both the entrance and exit, the city says. The floor will be marked to encourage social distancing. The "I Voted" stickers will not be handed out by election workers; instead they'll be on tables for voters to pick up.
Pens used at polling places will be sanitized after every use. Voters will be able to bring their own pens, but city officials warn against using ink that might bleed to the other side of the ballot.
RELATED: Drive Thru Ballot Drop-Off Available In Minneapolis
Anyone who has yet to mail a filled-out ballot is urged to drop it off at the Election Voter Services Building -- where a drive thru drop-off is available -- or at the Hennepin County Government Center.
These locations are open Monday until 5 p.m. They'll be open Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. After 3 p.m. Tuesday, filled-out absentee ballots won't be accepted and they can't be dropped off at polling places, the city says.
Results for the primary will be preliminary Tuesday night, city officials warn. Since mail-in ballots will still be getting processed Wednesday and Thursday, election officials say final results won't be available until Thursday night or Friday morning.
