Politics & Government

Polling Place Rules and Etiquette

Can you bring your children with you? Can you wear a campaign button for your favorite candidate or issue? Here are some polling place rules from the Secretary of State's Office.

Voting isn't as easy as showing up and checking a few boxes. There are things you cannot do when you vote in an election.

Here are some frequently asked questions and answers from the Secretary of State's Office:

Q: Can I bring my child with me when I vote on Election Day? 

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A: Yes. A voter may bring their children with them to a polling place and the children may go with the parent into the voting booth.

Q: May I bring a sample ballot from my political party or the newspaper into my polling place?

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A: Yes. Voters may bring a sample ballot from a newspaper or campaign flyer into the voting booth, as long as they take great care to conceal the material from other voters while outside the voting booth and take it with them when they leave.

Q: Can I wear a campaign button or shirt to my polling place in Minnesota?

A: No. Minnesota law clearly prohibits the displaying of campaign materials at or near all polling locations. The Office of the Secretary of State strongly encourages all voters to remove any campaign buttons, T-shirts, etc. before arriving at the polls. Election judges will inform all voters displaying campaign material to conceal or remove it, which may mean taking off a button, zipping up a coat and keeping it zipped, or going into the bathroom to turn a T-shirt inside out.

Read more about Protecting Election Integrity.


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