Dear Twin Cities Faculty and Instructors,
As you know, Tuesday, November 2 is Election Day. The University of Minnesota encourages the members of our community to be engaged citizens and participate in the electoral process.
Please consider making an announcement in class encouraging students to vote. The state of Minnesota provides voters with three reliable options for casting their ballots:
- Vote in person on November 2 at your polling place. To vote in person, you must be registered by October 12 at 5:00 p.m. or take advantage of Minnesota’s “same day registration” option.
- Apply to vote absentee by mail. Using this method, your ballot must be received by Election Day or it will not be counted. Return your ballot by mail or package delivery service (such as FedEx or UPS). You can also return your absentee ballot in person by 3:00 p.m. on election day to the election office that sent your ballot. You cannot drop off your absentee ballot at your polling place on Election Day.
- Vote before Election Day at an early voting location or the county election office.
We hope that these different options will make it possible for students to vote without missing class. However, because our Makeup Work for Legitimate Absences policy does not explicitly excuse students from classes to vote, we ask instructors to consider reasonable accommodations for students who experience unforeseen delays in voting that create a conflict with their class schedule.
Sincerely yours,
Rachel T.A. Croson
Executive Vice President and Provost
email sent October 7, 2021 to all Twin Cities faculty and fall 2021 instructors