Vote in the March 5 presidential primary

Minnesota’s presidential primary election is Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Olmsted County and the City of Rochester encourage all eligible voters to participate.

What is a presidential primary?
A presidential primary is held every four years ahead of the general election in November and is a way voters help states and political parties choose presidential nominees. Any registered voter in Minnesota can vote in this election.

A voter must request the ballot of the major political party of their choice. If a voter refuses to select a party, they will not be able to vote in the presidential primary.

A voter’s choice of party ballot will be recorded and is private data. However, a list will be provided to the chair of each major political party of voters who selected that party. How a person votes on a ballot will be secret.

Common questions about the presidential primary can be found on the Minnesota Secretary of State website.

Register to vote
To vote in the presidential primary, you must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old on Election Day, a resident of Minnesota for 20 days, and not currently incarcerated for a felony conviction. You can register online or at your polling location on Election Day.

To register on Election Day, please bring one proof of residence with you to your polling location. Information on approved documents can be found on the Minnesota Secretary of State website.

Find your Election Day polling location
You can find your polling location on the Minnesota Secretary of State's website. You can also use the Election District Finder tool to determine your election district and who represents you.

Please be advised schools will be open on March 5, 2024. Parking may be limited during peak school hours (7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.) for voters assigned to precincts located in Rochester schools. Please plan to vote outside peak hours, if possible.

Voting by mail
If you requested an absentee ballot by mail, please ensure the completed ballot is returned to the Olmsted County Elections Office by Election Day.

Learn more about the absentee voting process by watching this short video!

Questions?
If you have questions about the presidential primary voting process, please email or call the Olmsted County Elections Office at 507-328-7650. More information can also be found on the Minnesota Secretary of State website.