South Hennepin News

City of Plymouth issued the following announcement on Oct. 31.

Following an Oct. 29 court decision affecting mailed absentee ballots, the City of Plymouth urges residents to drop off their completed absentee ballots by 3 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, at Plymouth City Hall, 3400 Plymouth Blvd.

Returning absentee ballots via mail is not encouraged at this time.

Ballot Drop-and-Go at Plymouth City Hall through 3 p.m. Nov. 3

A drop-and-go tent is available in the parking lot at City Hall – and Plymouth voters can stay inside their vehicles for this drive-thru service. Absentee ballots are verified and accepted on the spot. Drop-and-go is for Plymouth residents only. Drop-and-go hours are as follows:

• Open until 4:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30
• 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31
• 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2
• Deadline: 3 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3

“If you already have your absentee ballot at home, save time by bringing it to City Hall and our election team will walk you through the process," said City Clerk Sandy Engdahl. "We will feed your ballot through the tabulator the same day it’s received. There’s no difference between the ballots residents received in the mail and the ballots available for in-person absentee voting at City Hall.”

Plymouth election staff have reported that in most cases, wait time for drop-and-go is less than 3 minutes.

Track the Status of Ballots / What to Do if You Mailed It

Voters can track the status of their absentee ballots and confirm that they have been received and counted at mnvotes.org.

If you recently put your ballot in the mail, you can check the status of the ballot at mnvotes.org. If your ballot has not yet been accepted, you should make a plan to vote in-person either early or on Election Day. An election judge will confirm that your previously issued ballot has not been accepted and issue you a new ballot on the spot.

Curbside Voting, In-Person Direct Balloting Available through Nov. 2

Residents may also curbside (complete the absentee ballot process and vote in your vehicle in the parking lot) or in-person via direct balloting through Monday, Nov. 2 inside Plymouth City Hall. There is no need to apply for an absentee ballot in advance. 

Direct balloting is when the voter feeds the ballot through the tabulator just like on Election Day. Waiting to apply for a ballot and vote in-person has been taking approximately 15 minutes. Voters are required to wear masks when voting in-person inside.

Hours include:

• 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30
• 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31
• 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2

In-Person Voting on Election Day, Nov. 3

Plymouth residents may also vote in-person on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls are open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Election Day. All Minnesota voters must wear masks to vote in-person on Election Day.

Turnout for early voting in Plymouth has already exceeded 50% for the 2020 General Election, so Plymouth election staff expect Election Day wait times to be normal and reasonable.

Residents can find information about their polling location, what’s on the ballot and more at mnvotes.org.

Federal Court Ruling

A panel of Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judges ordered Thursday that all mail-in ballots received after 8 p.m. on Election Day be set aside in Minnesota, pending a future court order to determine their validity. The previous state ruling had allowed election officials to count ballots received until Nov. 10, as long as they were postmarked by Nov. 3.

Following the Eighth Circuit’s decision, Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon instructed voters to no longer place their absentee ballots in the mail. He urged voters deliver their ballots by hand to election offices or vote in person on Election Day.

For more information about voting in Minnesota, visit mnvotes.org.

Original source can be found here.

Source: City of Plymouth