Election Day and Voting

Dear Twin Cities Faculty, Staff, and Students,

As members of a diverse University community, we all share in the responsibility of shaping our society. For citizens of the United States over 18 years old, voting is the easiest way to participate in a social dialogue. Different levels of government determine your community’s response to everything from potholes to parks, and voting gives you the chance to select the people making those decisions. I urge you to make sure you are registered to vote at z.umn.edu/votes.

The deadline in Minnesota to pre-register to vote is October 13. However, after that date you can still vote absentee or register at your polling location on Election Day. If you are from a different state and plan on voting there, please check your state’s rules and deadlines.

During these unprecedented times, voting may take a little more planning than it has in the past. However, the state of Minnesota provides you with three reliable options casting your ballot:

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.

I also urge faculty members to provide students with reminders to register and vote: please consider putting z.umn.edu/votes on your class canvas pages. The University has also created a zoom background and a powerpoint slide for all faculty, staff, and students to use while teaching, attending meetings, or giving presentations as a way to encourage each other to raise our voices this election season.

Sincerely,

Rachel T.A. Croson
Executive Vice President and Provost

email sent to all Twin Cities faculty, staff, and students on October 7, 2020