Key election dates announced

Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon is highlighting important 2018 election dates in the and encouraging all citizens, regardless of political affiliation, to get involved, stay informed and, most importantly, vote.
“This is going to be an important and historic election year in Minnesota, beginning with precinct caucuses in three weeks on Feb. 6,” said Simon. “I encourage all Minnesotans to get involved in the civic process and make their voices heard in 2018 —whether by attending a local precinct caucus, asking friends and family if they are registered to vote, or by voting on Election Day.”
In 2018, Minnesotans will be voting for their choice for both U.S. Senate seats, their member of the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as their choice for governor and lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state auditor, aAttorney general, and state representative. This will be the first election in Minnesota since 1978 that both U.S. Senate seats and the governorship are up for election in the same year.
Some Minnesotans will also be voting for their local county officials, city officials, school board members, township officers and more.

Key dates:
Feb. 6 — Precinct caucuses. The Precinct Caucus Finder will be available in mid-January on the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State website, mnvotes.org. The finder displays caucus locations provided by the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and Republican Party. Voters may also contact their preferred political party to find caucus locations.
May 22-June 5 — Candidate filing period. Candidates running for partisan office need to file for office during this window of time.
June 29 — Minnesotans can begin to vote early via absentee ballot, by mail, or in person for the Aug. 14 primary election.
To vote early by mail, Minnesotans can apply to have an absentee ballot mailed to them. For more information on voting early, visit the secretary of state website.
July 24 — Pre-registration deadline for the primary election. Voters are encouraged to pre-register to vote to avoid lines at the polling place. Voters who miss this deadline may still register at their polling place on Primary Election Day, Aug. 14.
Aug. 14 — Primary Election Day.
Sept. 21 — Minnesotans can begin to vote early via absentee ballot, by mail, or in person for the Nov. 6 General Election. More information is available at the secretary of state website or from local county auditors.
Sept. 25 — National Voter Registration Day. Join SSimon and organizations across the state and country as we celebrate the largest annual voter registration drive in the U.S.
Oct. 16 — Pre-registration deadline for the General Election. Voters are encouraged to pre-register to vote to avoid lines at the polling place. Voters who miss this deadline may still register at their polling place on Election Day, Nov. 6.
Nov. 6 — General Election Day.
The voter registration process in Minnesota is easier and more convenient than ever before. Minnesotans can register to vote from the comfort of their own home by going online to mnvotes.org.
Voters can register at the polls on Election Day or when applying for or renewing their driver's license. Voter registration applications are also available at every state agency, all 87 county offices throughout the state, and online in English, Amharic, Chinese, Hmong, Karen, Khmer, Lao, Oromo, Russian, Somali, Spanish and Vietnamese.
Minnesotans who are already registered to vote should confirm their voter registration information is up to date, and encourage their friends, family and co-workers to do the same.