News Room

SAINT PAUL – On February 20, 2026, the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State provided Minnesotans with answers to frequently asked questions about Minnesota’s Statewide Voter Registration System. Learn more about Minnesota’s Secure and Fair Elections.

What is the Statewide Voter Registration System?

Minnesota’s Statewide Voter Registration System is a secure, dynamic database that acts as the record for registered voters in Minnesota. The information in the database changes constantly as new information is added by election administrators to ensure voter records remain current and accurate.

Every day, Minnesotans experience life-changing events – including moving, marriage, divorce, turning 18, or becoming a citizen. These events can impact voter eligibility, which impacts the voter registration system.

Minnesotans can update their voter registration anytime online at mnvotes.gov/register.

What are “voter rolls?”

The term “voter rolls” is not a technical term used in election administration. It is often used by the public to represent a comprehensive list of registered voters.

Registered voter lists are outlined in Minnesota Statute Sec. 201.091. These lists are point-in-time snapshots of the dynamic Statewide Voter Registration System. There are two main types of registered voter lists.

1. Public Information Lists: Registered Minnesota voters can request contact information and voting history about voters for purposes related to elections, political activities, or law enforcement. There are four types of bulk reports that can be provided under this provision – walking list, detailed voting history for all elections, voter mailing labels, household mailing labels.
2. Master List: Public officials may request a master list from the county auditor for purposes related to election administration, jury selection, and in response to a law enforcement inquiry concerning a violation of or failure to comply with any criminal statute or state or local tax statute.

The table below describes the information provided through registered voter lists.

*Only data for the past six years is provided.

State law makes clear that “a list provided for public inspection or purchase, or in response to a law enforcement inquiry, must not include a voter's date of birth or any part of a voter's Social Security number, driver's license number, identification card number, military identification card number, or passport number.” (See: Minnesota Statute Sec. 201.091)

Why are some voter registrations challenged?

Due to the everchanging nature of the database, Minnesota’s lawmakers created clear policies for ensuring the security of our elections. One of these policies is the “challenged” designation within the Statewide Voter Registration System. This important designation is meant to be a note to local government administrators that more verification is needed before a person can vote. It is an extra step to ensure the integrity of the voter rolls.

The “challenged” designation indicates that the system is working to flag people who may no longer be eligible to vote at a particular address. A person cannot vote until the challenge is resolved, and if the voter’s eligibility cannot be established, information is referred to the county attorney for investigation and potential prosecution.

The fact that a person is challenged does not mean that they are ineligible to vote. Challenges most often appear due to an issue with the postal delivery of a mailed notice of voter registration. Challenges may also be present due to differences in how names are entered and recorded in different government databases and reporting delays in reference systems (for example, records from the Department of Corrections are updated monthly, but individuals are released from incarceration every day).

In Cilek v. Secretary of State, 941 N.W.2d 411 (Minn. 2020), the Minnesota Supreme Court held that voter registration information not on the public information list (including data on challenges) is not accessible to the public.

Why would there be a high number of challenged voters in some precincts?

Precincts vary widely across the state in population and demographics. In some precincts with large student populations, people move frequently. Mail delivery issues can cause a registration to be challenged – including issues frequently experienced by those in a university setting with shared living arrangements and where the mail delivery address may differ from the actual residential address.

Why would some people have a birthdate in the Statewide Voter Registration System listed as 1900?

Some active voters have birth years of 1900 in the system. Minnesota state law did not require voters who registered before 1983 to provide their date of birth. When the state moved to a digital voter registration system, the birth year of 1900 was added as a placeholder. Over the years, the majority of those who were grandfathered into the digital system with the 1900 birthdate have been updated. However, if a voter has not changed their address or name since they registered, and has consistently voted, they would not have an updated birthdate recorded.