Absentee Ballot Process
Stearns County Auditor/Treasurer
Randy R. Schreifels
If you are in the Military or will be overseas on Election Day you will need to complete the Military/Overseas Application.
All others should download and complete the Absentee Ballot Application (Adobe Acrobat PDF file)
In Minnesota, a resident can vote absentee for the following reasons:
- Absence from your precinct
- Illness or disability
- Serving as an election judge in another precinct
- Religous discipline or observance of religious holiday
- Eligible emergency declared by the governor or quarantine delcared by the federal or state government
It is a felony to make a false statement in an application for an absentee ballot, to apply for an absentee ballot more than once in an election with the intent to cast an illegal ballot, to show a ballot marked by a person to another person, or to violate an absentee ballot provision for the purpose of casting an illegal vote or to help anyone to cast an illegal vote.
- You must indicate which election(s) you are requesting an Absentee for.
- Check the appropriate box indicating why you cannot go to your polling place on election day.
- These are the only reasons that entitle you to vote by absentee ballot.
- Give your correct legal residence as completely as possible, since this is used to verify your precinct number.
- Sign the application.
Return the completed application as soon as possible to the election official from whom you received it; or mail the application to:
Stearns County Auditor/Treasurer's Office
705 Courthouse Square, Room 148
St. Cloud, MN 56303
You may also FAX your application to (320) 656-3916.
Remember:
- Your Absentee Ballot Application must be signed in order to process.
- Do not submit more than one application for each election.
- Your absentee ballots will be mailed or delivered to you as soon as they are available.
- Ballots received by election officials after election day will not be counted.
Ongoing/Permanent Absentee Ballot Application Process
Download Permanent Application Form to automatically receive absentee ballot applications (Adobe Acrobat PDF File)
This application may be used if you are:
- An eligible voter who reasonably expects to be permanently unable to go to the polling place on election day because of illness or disability may apply to a County Auditor or Municipal Clerk to receive an absentee ballot application automatically before each election (other than an election conducted by mail) and to have the status of permanent absentee voter indicated on the voter's registration record.
- An eligible voter may apply to a county auditor or municipal clerk for status as an ongoing absentee voter if the voter reasonably expects to be unable to go to the polling place on election day in the precinct where the individual maintains residence because of absence from the precinct, illness, disability, religious discipline, observance of a religious holiday, or service as an election judge in another precinct.
Voters who have applied for ongoing status will automatically be provided with an absentee ballot application for each ensuing election (other than an election conducted by mail) and will have the status of ongoing absentee voter indicated on the voter's registration record. Ongoing absentee voter status ends upon:
1) the voter's written request;
2) the voter's death;
3) return of an ongoing absentee ballot as undeliverable;
4) a change in the voter's status so that the voter is not eligible to vote.