Lead image by Element5 Digital on Unsplash.

By Sommer Wagen

The primary election for the 2026 mid-terms is Tuesday, Aug. 11, and general Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Here’s a guide to important information, including what’s on the ballot, new and proposed laws and non-citizen voting statistics.

What’s on the ballot?

All voters will have these races on their general election ballot:

Voters may have one or more of these races on their ballot:

• County officials
• City officers
• School board members
• Township officers
• Local ballot questions

Information about 2026 elections in Minnesota can be found on Ballotpedia.

New state laws make voting accessible

• Minnesotans ages 16-17 can now pre-register to vote, so they’ll automatically be registered as soon as they turn 18.
• Minnesotans with previous felony convictions can vote once their incarceration is complete, even if on probation or parole.
• Minnesotans are automatically registered to vote when renewing their driver’s license or applying for a new one.
• Employees have the right to paid time off work to vote any time during the absentee voting period.
• Voters can now apply apply to have an absentee ballot mailed to them for every election.
• Absentee and mail ballots must now be returned by 5 p.m. on Election Day.
• Voters can cast ballots in-person before Election Day without completing an absentee ballot.

The SAVE Act and non-citizen voting

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (aka the SAVE Act or SAVE America Act) is a federal bill that would require voters to present proof of citizenship in person in order to register, according to Vote.org. This would effectively eliminate all mail and online registration systems.

The stated purpose of the SAVE Act is to eliminate non-citizen voting. At the same time, state and federal data show that non-citizen voting is already a rarity, per Vote.org. A study from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. found only three state convictions of green card holders for unlawful voting or registration between 2015 and 2024 out of over 13 million total votes.

“There is no evidence of systematic or widespread voter fraud by non-citizens, whether intentional or accidental,” the study states.

Documentary proof of citizenship is already required to vote. Non-citizen voting has been a federal crime since 1996 and carries serious penalties including fines, imprisonment and deportation.

“The SAVE Act would cause unprecedented chaos in the U.S. election system– preventing millions of Americans from voting, slowing or stopping work in elections offices and threatening election workers with criminal prosecution,” said Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon in a co-signed letter against the SAVE Act in April 2025.

According to The Hill, the SAVE Act has stalled in the U.S. Senate over Democratic opposition.