Presidential primary voting

Absentee balloting for the Minnesota presidential nomination primary (PNP) is under way. Absentee voting began Friday, Jan. 19, with the PNP election taking place on Tuesday, March 5.

The purpose of the presidential nomination primary is for voters to choose the presidential candidate they wish their party to nominate to be on the November general election ballot. When going in to vote, voters must state their party preference: DFL, Republican, or Legal Marijuana Now. There are separate ballots for each party, and the voter will be given only one ballot for their selected party. On the ballot will only be the one office: president. Party choice is private, except that it is required by law to be shared with the party chair selected by the voter after the election.

Anyone wishing to vote absentee can do so at the Stearns County Service Center, 3301 County Road 138 in Waite Park, or at the City’s Lake George Municipal Complex, 1101 7th Street South in St. Cloud, during normal business hours. The City of St. Cloud has Stearns County ballots only. To request an absentee ballot by mail, go to mnvotes.org or call the Stearns County election office at (320) 656-3920. Voters can also track an absentee ballot, check registration, or find their polling place at mnvotes.org.

Absentee voting continues until March 4. The presidential nomination primary will be Tuesday, March 5, with polls open from 7 a.m.-8 p.m.

Mail ballots will be sent out this week to all registered voters in mail ballot precincts. Anyone who is getting a mail ballot would have received a post card recently alerting them that their ballot would be arriving by mail. Anyone in a mail ballot precinct who is not registered can vote absentee with proper identification, or in-person on Election Day at the Stearns County Service Center in Waite Park.

Minnesota traditionally held presidential caucuses but switched to a presidential nomination primary starting in 2020.