§ 201.054 — Methods of Registering; Prohibitions; Penalty
Plain-Language Summary
This section lists the ways a person can register to vote in Minnesota. Voters can register before election day, on election day itself, or when submitting an absentee ballot. People aged 16 and 17 can pre-register, but cannot vote until they turn 18. It is a felony to register under a false name or in more than one place.
201.054 METHODS OF REGISTERING; PROHIBITIONS; PENALTY.
§
Subdivision 1.Registration.
(a) An individual may register to vote or update a voter registration:
(1) at any time before the 20th day preceding any election as provided in section 201.061, subdivision 1;
(2) on the day of an election as provided in section 201.061, subdivision 3; or
(3) when submitting an absentee ballot, by enclosing a completed registration application as provided in section 203B.04, subdivision 4.
(b) An individual who is under the age of 18, but who is at least 16 years of age and otherwise eligible, may submit a voter registration application as provided in section 201.061, subdivisions 1 and 1b. §
Subd. 2.Prohibitions; penalty.
An individual must not intentionally:
(1) cause or attempt to cause the individual’s name to be registered in any precinct if the individual is not eligible to vote, except as permitted by section 201.061, subdivision 1b;
(2) cause or attempt to cause the individual’s name to be registered for the purpose of voting in more than one precinct;
(3) misrepresent the individual’s identity when attempting to register to vote or to update a registration; or
(4) aid, abet, counsel, or procure any other individual to violate this subdivision.
A violation of this subdivision is a felony. §
Subd. 3.Prohibited methods of compensation; penalty.
(a) No individual may be compensated for the solicitation, collection, or acceptance of voter registration applications from voters for submission to the secretary of state, a county auditor, or other local election official in a manner in which payment is calculated by multiplying (1) either a set or variable payment rate, by (2) the number of voter registration applications solicited, collected, or accepted.
(b) No individual may be deprived of compensation or have compensation automatically reduced exclusively for failure to solicit, collect, or accept a minimum number of voter registration applications, and no individual may receive additional compensation for reaching or exceeding a minimum number of voter registration applications.
(c) A person who violates this subdivision is guilty of a petty misdemeanor.
History:
1981 c 29 art 2 s 6; 1986 c 444; 1987 c 361 s 3; 1990 c 585 s 4; 1999 c 132 s 5; 2008 c 244 art 1 s 2; art 2 s 2; 2023 c 34 art 1 s 3,4; 2025 c 39 art 8 s 1,2
History: History: 1981 c 29 art 2 s 6; 1986 c 444; 1987 c 361 s 3; 1990 c 585 s 4; 1999 c 132 s 5; 2008 c 244 art 1 s 2; art 2 s 2; 2023 c 34 art 1 s 3,4; 2025 c 39 art 8 s 1,2