How To Vote in Rochester, Minnesota

How To Vote in Rochester

Everything a voter in Rochester and Olmsted County needs for the general election on Tuesday, November 3, 2026: who can vote, what to bring, how to register (including on Election Day), when and where to vote early, where to vote on Election Day, what is on the ballot, and who holds every office you vote for. Every fact here was checked in September 2026 against the Minnesota Secretary of State, the Rochester City Clerk, Olmsted County and the offices themselves.

THE DATES THAT MATTER

Friday, September 18, 2026 — absentee voting opens, by mail and in person.

Tuesday, October 13, 2026 — last day to pre-register. After this you can still register when you vote early or at your polling place.

Friday, October 16, 2026 — new “Early Voting” begins: you feed your own ballot into the machine, just like Election Day.

Monday, November 2, 2026 — last day to vote early in person.

Tuesday, November 3, 2026 — Election Day. Polls open 7am to 8pm. Mailed ballots must arrive by 8pm.

Before you go: Minnesota does not ask registered voters for a photo ID, and you can register at your polling place on Election Day — just bring proof of where you live (see step 2). If you have a felony conviction and are out of prison, you can vote.

Can I vote? The ID you need Registering Primaries & party When to vote Where to vote My ballot The offices, explained Learn more Who to call

1. Can you vote?

You can vote in Minnesota if you are a U.S. citizen, will be at least 18 on Election Day, and have lived in Minnesota for 20 days before the election. You cannot vote while you are in prison for a felony, or if a court has taken away your right to vote. Minnesota does not register voters by party. Sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds can pre-register so they are ready when they turn 18.

If you have a past felony conviction

Since June 1, 2023, your right to vote comes back the moment you are released from prison — including while you are on probation, parole or supervised release. You do not need to finish your sentence or pay fines first. You do need to register again, and you can do that on Election Day at your polling place.

Check your registration Register online

2. The ID you need

If you are already registered at your current address, you do not need any ID to vote. Just give your name and address at the check-in table.

If you are registering when you vote (early or on Election Day), you must prove where you live. Any one of these works:

A valid Minnesota driver’s license, learner’s permit or state ID (or the receipt for one) with your current address, or a Tribal ID with your name, address, photo and signature
A photo ID plus a document with your current address. Photo IDs that count (even if expired): a driver’s license or state ID from any state, U.S. passport, U.S. military or veteran ID, Tribal ID, or a Minnesota college, university, technical college or high school ID. Address documents: a utility bill due or dated within 30 days of the election, a lease valid through Election Day, or a current student fee statement — showing it on your phone is fine
A registered voter from your precinct who comes with you and signs an oath vouching for your address (one voter can vouch for up to 8 people)
Your name on a college student housing list provided to the elections office, plus a photo ID
A staff member of the residential facility where you live, vouching for you
A Notice of Late Registration mailed to you, or a registration in the same precinct under an old name or address

Need help getting an ID or a document? VoteRiders helps for free — call or text 866-432-8683.

3. Registering to vote

The rule: pre-registration closes 21 days before every election. For November 3, 2026, the last day to pre-register is Tuesday, October 13. Miss it and you can still register when you vote early or at your polling place on Election Day — bring proof of residence.

Online at the Secretary of State’s site — you need a Minnesota driver’s license or ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number.
On paper — print the form and mail or drop it off at the Olmsted County Elections Office, 2122 Campus Dr. SE, Suite 300.
Automatically when you apply for or renew a Minnesota driver’s license or ID, unless you opt out.
In person when you vote early, or at your polling place on Election Day.

4. Primaries and party

Minnesota holds an open primary on the second Tuesday in August — this year it was August 11, 2026. You do not register by party, but in a primary you can vote in only one party’s column. Nonpartisan races (county, judges, school board and most city races) use the primary to narrow each seat to two finalists. There are no runoffs. November 3 is the general election, where everyone gets the same ballot for their address.

5. When to vote

Election Day: Tuesday, November 3, 2026, 7am to 8pm. If you are in line when polls close, you still get to vote. Minnesota law lets you take paid time off work to vote on Election Day without losing pay.

Vote early in person — any voter, no reason needed

Olmsted County runs early voting for Rochester. The county elections office on Campus Drive is open now; City Hall opens for early voting on Tuesday, October 27.

Where	Address	Hours
Olmsted County Elections Office	2122 Campus Dr SE, Suite 300, Rochester, MN 55904	Absentee in person from Sept 18. Early voting Oct 16 – Nov 2: Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; Tue Oct 27 8 a.m.–7 p.m.; Sat Oct 24 & Oct 31 9 a.m.–3 p.m.; Sun Nov 1 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Rochester City Hall Elections Office (Conference Room 104)	201 4th St SE, Rochester, MN 55904	Early voting Oct 27 – Nov 2: Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; Tue Oct 27 8 a.m.–7 p.m.; Sat Oct 31 9 a.m.–3 p.m.; Sun Nov 1 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Olmsted County Government Center	151 4th St SE, Rochester, MN 55904	Listed by the county as a place to vote/return ballots during the early-voting period (Oct 16 – Nov 2). Specific hours were not published.

Vote by mail — any voter, no reason needed

Step	Deadline
Request a ballot	Any time now. The Secretary of State recommends applying by Tuesday, October 20, 2026 so there is time to mail it back.
Ballot returned by mail	Must arrive by 8pm on Tuesday, November 3, 2026 — a postmark does not count. Mail it at least a week early.
Ballot returned in person	Deliver your own ballot to the Olmsted County Elections Office (2122 Campus Dr. SE, Suite 300) by 5pm on Election Day — call (507) 328-7650 to confirm.
Track your ballot	Online with the Secretary of State once you mail it.

Before you mark your ballot, you need a witness: any U.S. citizen who will be 18 by Election Day, or a notary. The witness sees your blank ballot, not your choices, and signs the envelope. Never bring a mail ballot to your polling place — it cannot be accepted there.

Request a mail ballot Track your ballot 2026 election calendar

Dates can change between election cycles. Always check the official Minnesota elections calendar.

6. Where to vote

Rochester has about 80 precincts across six wards, and on Election Day you must vote at the polling place for yours (7am to 8pm). Olmsted County mails every registered voter a postcard with their polling place. Here are polling places in all six wards.

Polling place	Address	Who votes here
Autumn Ridge Church	3611 Salem Rd SW, Rochester, MN 55902	Ward 1, Precincts 1-1 and 1-2 (southwest)
Willow Creek Middle School	2425 11th Ave SE, Rochester, MN 55904	Ward 1, Precincts 1-9, 1-10, 1-11 (southeast)
Sunset Terrace Elementary School	1707 19th Ave NW, Rochester, MN 55901	Ward 2, Precincts 2-1, 2-2, 2-3
Edison Administrative Building	615 7th St SW, Rochester, MN 55902	Ward 2, Precincts 2-11, 2-12 (near downtown/Kutzky Park)
Overland Elementary School	2300 Overland Dr NW, Rochester, MN 55901	Ward 3, Precincts 3-1, 3-5, 3-8 (northwest)
Holy Spirit Catholic Church	5455 50th Ave NW, Rochester, MN 55901	Ward 3, Precincts 3-2, 3-7 (far northwest)
University of Minnesota Rochester	111 Broadway Ave SE, Rochester, MN 55904	Ward 4, Precinct 4-1 (downtown)
Mayo High School	1420 11th Ave SE, Rochester, MN 55904	Ward 4, Precincts 4-8, 4-9, 4-10
Rochester Regional Sports Center	2900 Stadium View Pl SE, Rochester, MN 55904	Ward 4, Precincts 4-3, 4-6, 4-7
Century High School	2525 Viola Rd NE, Rochester, MN 55906	Ward 5, Precincts 5-5, 5-9 (northeast)
Jefferson Elementary School	1201 10th Ave NE, Rochester, MN 55906	Ward 5, Precincts 5-7, 5-8, 5-11
John Marshall High School	1510 14th St NW, Rochester, MN 55901	Ward 5, Precincts 5-10, 5-12
Gage Elementary School	1300 40th St NW, Rochester, MN 55901	Ward 6, Precincts 6-1, 6-3, 6-6 (north)
John Adams Middle School	1525 31st St NW, Rochester, MN 55901	Ward 6, Precincts 6-7, 6-9

These are from Olmsted County’s official ’Polling Places’ GIS layer, which lists every Rochester ward-precinct and its polling site. Rochester has about 80 precincts across 6 wards, and many polling sites serve more than one precinct. The City of Rochester does not publish a text list; it sends voters to the Secretary of State’s Poll Finder (pollfinder.sos.mn.gov), and the county mails each registered voter a polling-place postcard. Polls are open 7 a.m.–8 p.m.

Need help? If you cannot get out of your car, you can vote curbside — ask a friend or call the polling place and two election judges will bring the ballot to you. Every polling place has an accessible voting machine, and you can bring someone to help you (not your employer or union representative).

Find my polling place Rochester City Clerk — elections

7. My ballot

No two addresses in Rochester get exactly the same ballot. Your ward or district, county board district, school district, state House and Senate district and congressional district all depend on where you live. Look up your own sample ballot before you go, so you can read up on every race — including the judges and school board seats near the end.

On the November 3, 2026 ballot for Rochester voters:

Governor
Lieutenant Governor
Attorney General
Secretary of State
State Auditor
U.S. Senator (Class 2 seat)
Minnesota Supreme Court
Mayor of Rochester
Rochester City Council
Olmsted County Board of Commissioners
Olmsted County Attorney
Olmsted County Sheriff
Rochester Public Schools (ISD 535) School Board
Third Judicial District Court judges
Minnesota State Senate – Districts 24 and 25
Minnesota House of Representatives – Districts 24A, 24B, 25A, 25B
U.S. House – Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District

See my sample ballot

8. The offices, explained

Every office a Rochester voter chooses, who holds it today, and what the job actually does. Offices marked Not on the Nov 3 ballot are still yours — they come up in a different year. Rochester elects its mayor and half its council in even years — the mayor’s seat is open this year.

City of Rochester

Mayor of RochesterON THE NOV 3 BALLOT

Currently: Kim Norton

The mayor is the city’s elected leader and represents Rochester. The mayor proposes priorities and can veto council actions, while a city administrator runs day-to-day operations.

Term: 4 years; Norton’s current term ends January 2027

OPEN SEAT: Norton announced March 2, 2026 that she will not seek a third term. Joe Powers and Jess Garcia advanced from the Aug 11 primary to the Nov 3 general election.

How To Vote in Rochester, Minnesota