Voting

Get out and vote!

Exercise your right

The City Clerk's Office is responsible for election administration in Bloomington.

• 2008 General Election information
• Sample ballots and precinct map

FAQs

• Where do I go to vote?
• How do I register to vote?
• What can I do if I cannot vote in person?
• How can I vote if I am in the military or overseas?
• Can I get voting assistance?
• How does the AutoMARK terminal assist individuals with disabilities?
• Where can campaign signs be placed?

Forms and statistics

• Absentee ballots for military and overseas voters
• Absentee ballots for regular absentee voters
• Past election results

Political divisions and maps

• Congressional District 3
• Legislative District: 40B, 41B, 63B
• City Council District: I, II, III, IV
• Precincts and polling sites: 1 - 32

2008 General Election information

The next regularly scheduled election is the General Election on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. This election will include various federal, state, county and judicial offices.

• Sample ballots, 2008 General Election

The next regularly scheduled election for City officials will be in 2009.

Voter registration

To vote, you must be:

• A U.S. citizen.
• At least 18 years old.
• A Minnesota resident for at least 20 days on election day.
• Properly registered.

Pre-registration

At least 20 days before election day, you may register to vote by doing one of the following:

• Complete a Voter Registration Application, available at most government offices and public libraries, and then mail the application to Hennepin County Voter Registration Office at A-600 Government Center, 300 South 6th St, Minneapolis, MN 55487-0060; or
• Complete an online Voter Registration Application at the Hennepin County Elections Web site; print, sign, and mail to Hennepin County Voter Registration Office at A-600 Government Center, 300 South 6th St, Minneapolis, MN 55487-0060; or
• Register in person at the City of Bloomington or at Hennepin County; or
• If English is not your first language, a Voter Registration Application is available in Hmong, Spanish, Somali, Russian and Vietnamese at the Secretary of State's Web site.

Election day registration

To register at the polling place on election day, you must have authorized proof of residence:

• Valid Minnesota Driver's License, Learner's Permit or receipt of either with current address located in precinct.
• Valid Minnesota I.D. or receipt with current address located in precinct.
• A registered voter in the precinct who can vouch for you.
• Registration in the same precinct indicating a previous name or address.
• Mailed notice from the Registration Office indicating late registration.
• A tribal I.D. with name, address, signature, and picture of the individual.
• Voters may register with a combination of two documents: one photo ID from Column 1 and one current bill from Column 2, listed below.

You must re-register if:

• Your name or address changes.
• You have not voted in four years.

Absentee ballots for military and overseas voters

Civilians who are either temporarily or permanently overseas and military personnel, including their spouses and dependents, are eligible to vote in Minnesota by absentee ballot under The Uniformed Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) and Minnesota state law.

If you are in the military or living overseas, see the Secretary of State's link for military and overseas voter services .

Absentee ballots for regular absentee voters

You can vote by absentee ballot if you are unable to vote in person on election day for one of the following reasons:

• Absence from the precinct.
• Illness or disability.
• Serving as an election judge in another precinct.
• Religious discipline or observance of religious holiday.
• Eligible emergency declared by Governor, or quarantine declared by Federal or State government.

Absentee ballots are available during the 30 days prior to election day. To receive an absentee ballot, submit a signed written application to the City Clerk's office. The Absentee Application is available:

• At the City of Bloomington City Clerk's Office.
• From our Web site: Click here to download an absentee ballot application (PDF).
• From the Hennepin County Elections Web site .

Be sure to check the appropriate box on the application, 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.

You can cast your absentee ballot in two ways:

• Vote in person at the City Clerk's Office in City Hall...
  • During regular hours: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
  • During extended hours before election day:
    • The Saturday before election day - Saturday, November 1, 2008, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
    • The Monday before election day - Monday, November 3, 2008, until 5 p.m.
• Or submit your ballot by mail.

If you have a permanent disability, contact the City Clerk's Office to learn about how to apply to receive an absentee ballot application on an ongoing basis.

Visit the Secretary of State's web site for more information about absentee ballots , including links to an absentee ballot application.

Voting assistance

Ask the election judges for assistance:

• To read or mark a ballot.
• To obtain a magnifying device or a chair to use in the voting booth.
• To vote at the curb.
• To use an AutoMARK voter assist terminal.

How does the AutoMARK terminal assist individuals with disabilities?

Federal legislation passed by Congress, the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), requires that each polling place be equipped with a voter assist terminal for individuals with disabilities. These devices are designed to provide voters with disabilities the opportunity to vote independently and privately. The State of Minnesota has certified the AutoMARK from Election Systems and Software for use in Minnesota to meet the HAVA requirement to provide a voter assist terminal. The AutoMARK system will be available in every Bloomington polling place for voters with disabilities on election day. In addition, the AutoMARK system is available for absentee voters at City Hall during the 30 days before an election.

How does it work?

The voters receive the same optical scan paper ballot whether they will vote using a pen or the AutoMARK ballot marking device. The AutoMARK is a tool - an "electronic pen" - to assist the voter in marking the ballot. The AutoMARK has special features to assist voters with disabilities that make it difficult to mark an optical scan paper ballot (i.e. blind, poor eyesight, unable to hold a pen). When the voter inserts the ballot into the AutoMARK, an electronic version of the ballot appears on the screen. The screen provides options for reverse contrast, enlargement for easier reading, or for being turned off for privacy if a voter chooses to access the ballot by using earphones and keypad. The recorded audio description of the ballot can be used in place of or in conjunction with the visual version on the screen. The voter makes selections by the touch screen, the keypad, or alternative adaptive method.

The AutoMARK ballot marking device provides voters the opportunity to review and verify their selections. Upon the voter's direction, the AutoMARK marks the ovals on the optical scan ballot. The voter then inserts the ballot into the M-100 ballot counter used by all voters in the precinct. The voting process remains the same for voters who do not need the assistance of the AutoMARK for marking a ballot. Votes are tallied by the ballot counter to produce precinct results.

Want to learn more? For further information, contact the City Clerk's Office at 952-563-8729 or find more information about AutoMARK on the Minnesota Secretary of State's Web site .

Campaign sign regulations

Minnesota State Statutes and the Bloomington City Code regulate the placement of campaign signs. Here is a short summary of some of these regulations:

• No signs shall be placed without the permission of the property owner.
• No signs shall be placed in the public rights-of-way (in most cases at least 10 feet behind curb; or behind sidewalk).
• No signs should interfere with official signs and traffic control devices.
• Minnesota State Statute 211B.045 states the signs may be posted from the August 1 before the election until ten days after election day, and exempts non-commercial signs from any restriction to the size or number during that time.
• No sign shall be located in such a manner as to impede the view at intersections.
• No sign shall be attached upon trees, rocks, or power poles.

Refer to city ordinances and state sign statutes on MnDOT's Web site for full details.

Please contact the City Clerk's Office at 952-5

63-8729 with any questions.

Past election results

• 2008: Primary
• 2007: No primary | General Election
• 2006: Primary | General Election
• 2005: Primary | General Election
• 2004: Primary | General Election
• 2003: Primary | General Election

For more information, contact any of the following:

Voter Registration, City of Bloomington
PH: 952-563-8729, TTY: 952-563-8740

Minnesota Secretary of State
PH: 651-215-1440

Hennepin County Elections
PH: 612-348-5151

Minnesota League of Women Voters
PH: 651-224-5445

Voting HOME | Precincts, polling sites | Elected officials

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