Are you registered to vote?

Minnesota is rated highest of the 50 states for voting turnout. Cook County is part of the reason why. There is consistently high voter participation, even in primary elections. According to Cook County Auditor Braidy Powers, the voter turnout was 44 percent in the 2014 primary, just slightly lower than two years ago when voter participation was 51.4 percent.

Cook County residents who did not vote in the primary may be wondering if they will encounter difficulty when they attempt to vote in the November 4, 2014 General Election.

Voters should not have any problems, but it is recommended that they pre-register. The preregistration deadline for the November election is Tuesday, October 14. If you are pre-registered on Election Day you will be on the voter list and you simply sign in to vote.

Or, in Cook County, if you are a registered voter, you receive a ballot in the mail.

Voters can still register on Election Day, but they need valid identification to register at the Cook County Auditor’s Office.

There are a number of options for providing identification on Election Day. Voters will be asked for:

1. ID such as a Minnesota driver’s license or Tribal ID with a photo and current address.

2. A photo ID (without current address) along with a document with voter’s current address, such as a rent statement or utility bill, dated within 30 days of the election.

3. A registered voter from your precinct willing to go with you to the polling place to sign an oath confirming your address.

4. If a citizen pre-registered to vote too close to Election Day and whose name is not on the list may show the registration form received in the mail.

Voters must re-register any time they change address, change names or do not vote for four years in a row. Not sure if you’re registered? Visit the website of the Minnesota Secretary of State at www.mnvotes.org. Scroll down to “Voter Registration Lookup.”

After entering your name, birthdate and address the Secretary of State website tells you if you are registered. It also tells you when the upcoming election will be held, your polling place (or mail ballot procedure) and election precinct.