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My Point of View by Robert Hoffman

Forty days to go! If you haven’t gotten out to vote early yet, you can. If you are waiting until Election Day 2024, it is fast approaching. You can request, receive and cast an absentee ballot in one visit to the Auditor-Treasurer’s Office for the state general election:

• Monday to Friday: from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. now through Nov. 4.

• Saturday, Oct. 26, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Tuesday, Oct. 29, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Saturday, Nov. 2, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Sunday, Nov. 3, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Tuesday, Nov. 5, is Election Day (vote at your polling places.)

It is pretty easy to find out your polling place to vote at on election day in Minnesota. Just visit pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us and enter your zip code or county. I found it easier to enter your zip code than to start with your county. If you enter your zip code, you are then prompted to enter your street address and then asked to scroll down to your street name. If you choose to enter your county, then you are asked to enter a city or township and as easy as it sounds it can be confusing. For example, I live in Albert Lea but just outside of Albert Lea’s city limits in Pickerel Lake Township. If I choose Freeborn County and then Albert Lea instead of Pickerel Lake Township, my street does not pop up.

Spend a little time and visit the state’s poll finder website to familiarize yourself with more than just your specific polling place but also all of the districts you’re a part of, see a sample ballot and look over a list of every single candidate.

Renters and those who may have recently moved: Make sure to have your ID updated to your current address. It is very important to vote and not to skip voting because of an outdated ID. Don’t let that potentially prevent you from voting. If it comes down to needing information to register to vote on Election Day, find a utility statement with your name and address on it.

Though we can easily vote early now, and it is much quicker than it used to be to update your ID, many voters will still need to do Election Day registration. After identifying where your polling place is, to register at your polling place on Election Day, bring one proof of residence: Valid Minnesota driver’s license, learner’s permit or ID or a receipt for any of these or a Tribal ID with name, address photo and signature.

If you need to prove your new address, bring in a photo ID (it can actually be expired) and a current bill less than 30 days old with your current address on it. These bills can be: phone, TV or internet, solid waste, sewer, electric, gas, water, banking, credit card, rent or mortgage.

With only six weeks to go until Election Day now is not the time to take vacation or any time off; we still have a lot of work to do, and this is a very important election and cannot be taken lightly. A lot of people are voting early but now is the time to make sure we tell each other to get out and vote. We are also now relying heavily on election judges and poll workers (and are thankful for their service!)

Last, to help make these last six weeks of the election go well, our Freeborn County GOP Headquarters is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at my office in downtown Albert Lea at 223 William St E., right behind the post office and one block in front of City Hall. I will also personally be at our GOP HQ every Wednesday night until 8 p.m. and every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., so anyone can stop in and speak with the Freeborn County GOP chair any Wednesday night or Saturday morning until Election Day.

I am looking forward to these last few weeks of the election but know as close as the finish line is, now is when we have to make sure we are our strongest to push through this last stretch of the race.

After speaking with so many people these last months of this wild election I know we have great support for great candidates from the school board to the White House. Let’s finish this election strong and vote to get us out of the messes we are in. Make sure to get out and vote.

Robert Hoffman is chairman of the Freeborn County GOP.