Metro State Votes!
What We Do
Metro State Votes (MSV) is an outreach campaign that combines learning, curriculum, and events to register and educate voters, and increase participation in elections among Metro State University students and employees. We are here to collaborate and empower students to get civically engaged in their community. As one of Minnesota’s most civically engaged institutions of higher education, Metro State University seeks not only to continue its tradition of fostering democratic participation in the student body, we also educate and empower our students with the tools they need to protect and preserve our democratic system and values.
Why is Civic Engagement important?
Have you ever thought “I would love it if life looked like ... ?” Maybe you wish your kids had access to more green spaces. Maybe you wish your neighborhood was surrounded by art murals. Or maybe you wish your immigrant parents had a clearer pathway to citizenship and resources.
Civic engagement starts with those hopes for a thriving community. For generations, people have worked together to improve the places they live, learn, and raise their families. Positive change often starts with a simple idea: imagining what could be better and taking steps to make it happen.
If we think of our communities as a garden, our dreams are the roots planted beneath the soil. Civic engagement is the water that helps those dreams become reality. It creates opportunities for neighbors, organizations, and local leaders to work together toward shared goals. Over time, small actions can grow into meaningful and lasting change.
Civic engagement matters because it gives people a way to participate in shaping their communities. It can look like volunteering, attending community meetings, voting in local elections, helping a neighbor, or simply using your voice to advocate for issues that matter to you. At its core, civic engagement is about building stronger, healthier communities where everyone has the opportunity to contribute and belong.
Take the Next Step
How can I get involved?
Meet your elected officials. Find out who your representatives are using this tool: Who Represents Me?
Join a non-partisan political group
Minnesota Voice is a member-based coalition of 40+ grassroots organizations working to increase civic engagement and voter participation among Black, Native, Latine, Asian, and Immigrant residents across the state. They coordinate Minnesota’s largest nonpartisan voter registration and turnout programs, train new organizers of color every election, and support more than 20 organizations with data, technology, and programmatic support.
League of Women Voters empower voters and defend democracy through voter education and engagement, advocate for democracy, encourage civic participation, and support local League leaders and members.
The Citizens League lead with a multi-partisan approach, and develop leaders in public policy, build awareness of issues, and create strong public policy.
Capitol Pathways MN is a paid spring internship program for BIPOC undergraduate college students.
LeadMN offer 5 different certificates for students to develop their leadership skills, advocate for policy change, mobilize your peers on campus, and more!
For those who cannot vote ...
International students, DACA recipients, undocumented students, and other non-U.S. citizen students are critical members to our community. While unable to vote in U.S. elections, there are still several ways you can get involved on campus and beyond. We welcome and encourage you to share your voice as you are able and comfortable!
Attend a campus event
Join the Advocacy, Political Leadership & Service Club (APL) student group or Metro State University Student Association (MSUSA)
Educate yourself – learn about how decisions made in the U.S. effects wherever you call home or countries abroad.
Talk to your community – Have conversations with your friends, family, and loved ones about what it means to be civically engaged. Some discussions questions to start with:
What does voting mean to you?
What do you enjoy about living in Minnesota? What’s hard?
Can you tell me a story about the first time you stood up for something you believed in?
Tell me about the first time you voted.
Check out the Social Change Wheel 2.0 Toolkit to see different examples of how you can become civically engaged on campus.
Voting FAQs
Primary Elections
A primary election determines which candidates will be on the ballot in the November general election.
For example, five candidates from one political party might run for governor. Only one candidate can be on the ballot in November. The winner of the August primary election will represent their party on the November election ballot.
To learn more, visit the Secretary of State website.
Mid-term Elections
A mid-term election determines our Senate and House of Representatives. Mid-term elections give you, the voter, the power to determine which party controls the Senate and House of Representatives. The winning party has control of the legislature which can pass and enact laws, can declare war, and more. The party represented by the President that has the majority in the Senate and House usually supports the President by approving their agenda.
To learn more, visit the U.S. Vote Foundation’s website.
General Elections
In a general election, you vote for local, state, and federal officials. In some general elections, you might vote for the President, Vice President, US Senator, US Representative, Attorney General, Secretary of State, or State Treasurer.
To compare elections, visit the Secretary of State’s website, which breaks them down.
Registering to vote is quick and easy! There are four ways to register: use a paper form, register at your polling place, automatic registration, and online registration.
Who can vote in the primary and general elections?
People who will have resided in Minnesota for 20 days immediately preceding Election Day
What do I need to register to vote?
Your Minnesota driver’s license or Minnesota identification card number, or the last four numbers of your Social Security number
An email address
Please note: to be eligible to vote in Minnesota, you will need to re-register if your name or address changes.
More information on what is needed to register to vote can be found on the Minnesota Secretary of State website. Learn more, then register to vote.
Knowing who represents you is important. Find out who your state representatives are by entering your residential information into this GIS Locator.
There are several ways you can vote in the primary and the general election:
- In-person on election day at your designated polling place. Find your polling location here.
- Vote early in-person at your county election office.
- Vote by mail using an absentee ballot. Order a mail-in ballot here.
For students from a state other than Minnesota who wish to register and vote in that state, check the elections forms, requirements, and absentee voting procedures at that state’s Secretary of State’s website, or find it here.
Find more helpful information at Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State and at VOTE411.
Primary Election Day is on August 11, 2026. To vote in this election you must:
Register to vote between July 21 and August 11 (you can also register to vote on August 11 in person at your polling place)
You can vote by mail between June 26 and August 10 or in person on August 11 at your polling place.
Important Note: Your mail in vote must be delivered before August 11 for it to count in the election
Mid-term Election Day is on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. To vote in this election you must:
Register to vote between October 13, 2026 and November 3 (you can register to vote on November 3 in person at your polling place)
You can vote in-person on November 3 OR vote by mail between September 18 and November 2.
Important Note: Your mail-in ballot must arrive before November 3 for it to count in the election
To register to vote, you need to prove two things, 1) your identification and 2) your residency. Learn more on what you need to register on the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website, or by clicking on the links below.
Are you experiencing homelessness? You can still register to vote using the address of where you sleep as your address! Visit Minnesota Secretary of State to learn more.
In Minnesota, you have the option to vote in person, by absentee ballot, or by mail.
Vote in person — There are two ways to vote in-person. You can:
Vote early - All voters have at least one location where they can vote early in person with an absentee ballot. View the list of voting locations before election day for upcoming elections, or contact your county election office.
Vote on election day – On election day, arrive at your poll by 8:00pm. Most polling places open at 7am, but it's always a good idea to check. As long as you are in line by 8pm, you are allowed to vote.
Vote by absentee ballot — An absentee ballot is a voting ballot sent to you by an election administrator. To vote by absentee ballot, you must apply for one, complete the ballot by following all the instructions, then you have the option to:
Send it by mail (must arrive by Election Day)
Deliver it in-person by Election Day
Ask someone to deliver it by Election Day
Learn more or request an absentee ballot on the Minnesota Secretary of State website.
Vote by mail — To vote by mail, you must apply to have an absentee ballot mailed to you. You do not need to be registered to vote to apply. You can apply online.
If you’re an out-of-state student, you should vote from the address you consider home. This can be your home state residency, or your residency in Minnesota (even if you pay out-of-state tuition or have a driver’s license from another state). If you choose to vote in Minnesota, make sure you are registered to vote in the state of Minnesota. If you choose to vote in your home state, visit your home state’s election website to learn how to vote.
Register to vote in Minnesota by visiting mnvotes.gov.
As a voter, you have rights! Get to know some of them below or visit the Minnesota Secretary of State website for a full list.
Did you know you have the right to:
Take time off work to vote without losing your pay, personal leave, or vacation time
Vote if you are not incarcerated for a felony conviction
Bring your children to the polls
Bring a sample ballot
... and much more! You can also download this fact sheet with all your voting rights listed.
Campus Vote Coordinator
Susanna Morales | Community Engagement Specialist | LIB 161 | 651.793.1292 | susanna.morales@metrostate.edu