Brooten, Minnesota Public Records

After that deadline passes, eligible voters may still register in person at their polling place on Election Day with proof of residence. Acceptable proof includes a valid Minnesota driver's license or ID card with current address, a utility bill, bank statement, or another registered voter from the same precinct who can vouch for the applicant's residence. The city holds municipal elections for mayor and city council members, operating under a standard council form of government with a mayor and four council members serving staggered four-year terms. Municipal elections take place in November of odd-numbered years, with the next city elections scheduled for November 2025. Candidate filings for local office open in late July or early August and close in mid-August. Information about candidates and local ballot questions is available through Brooten City Hall at (320) 346-4100 and the Stearns County Elections Office. Voters can find their assigned polling place using the Minnesota Polling Place Finder at https://pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us or by contacting the County Elections Office. The community typically has one or two polling locations depending on precinct divisions, usually at a community building or school. In Minnesota, voter registration lists are public data under Minnesota Statutes Section 201.091 and can be requested from the Stearns County Auditor, though telephone numbers and email addresses are classified as private. Campaign finance reports for state-level candidates are filed with the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board at https://cfb.mn.gov and are fully searchable online. Local candidate filings are maintained by the County Elections Office. Precinct-level election results are posted on the Stearns County website following certification, typically within two weeks of Election Day. In the November 2024 presidential election, Stearns County reported approximately 64% voter turnout, with about 92,000 ballots cast from roughly 143,000 registered voters. Turnout in this community mirrored county trends with strong participation in the presidential race. The November 3, 2026 general election will feature several significant races for local voters. Minnesota's U.S. Senate seat currently held by Amy Klobuchar is not up for election in 2026 (next election 2024), but Minnesota's other U.S. Senate seat held by Tina Smith is up in 2026. The Governor of Minnesota (currently Tim Walz) will not be on the ballot in 2026 as gubernatorial elections occur in 2022, 2026, correction, Minnesota governors serve four-year terms elected in midterm years, so the governor will be on the 2026 ballot. All Minnesota House of Representatives seats (134 districts) are elected every two years, so residents will elect their state representative in 2026. Minnesota State Senate seats (67 districts) serve four-year terms, with elections held in cycles; depending on the district, voters may or may not have a state senator race in 2026. Stearns County offices including County Commissioner districts, Sheriff, Attorney, Auditor-Treasurer, and Recorder will have seats on the 2026 ballot depending on term expirations. City offices are not on the ballot in 2026 due to the odd-year municipal election cycle. Minnesota voters can request an absentee ballot online at https://mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us/AbsenteeBallotRequest.aspx or by contacting the Stearns County Elections Office. Absentee ballots may be requested beginning 46 days before an election and must be received by Election Day at 8:00 PM (postmarks do not count). Voters may also vote early in person at the County Auditor-Treasurer's office beginning 46 days before Election Day during business hours.