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Tuesday, Aug. 14 is the day of the 2012 primary election, narrowing the field of candidates in many races before the Nov. 6 general election. Here's what you need to know about voting on primary day in :
When Do I Vote?
At the polls: From 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 14
Where Do I Vote?
The Minnesota Secretary of State's online poll finder allows residents to type in their home address to search for their polling place—probably the easiest way to find out where you vote, as well as which races and candidates will be on your ballot.
Or here is a map of the precincts for Apple Valley voters who want to determine by map which precinct they live within and where their polling place is located.
February redistricting throughout the state caused changes to state political district boundaries, and therefore some municipal precinct boundaries, so your precinct and/or polling place could be different this year.
All Apple Valley residents live within U.S. Congressional District 2, Minnesota Judicial District 1, Minnesota Senate District 57 and Dakota County Commissioner District 7. Searching your address on the Minnesota poll finder online will also tell you which Minnesota House district (57A or 57B) and Apple Valley precinct you live within.
Once you search, click the red "Click here for a list of candidates" link near the bottom to see which races and candidates will appear on your ballot.
What Am I Voting For?
For Tuesday's primary election—which is "party ballot," so you'll vote for candidates all in the same political party—uncontested races will not appear on the ballot; this applies locally to both state House districts, where one Democrat and one Republican have filed in each, and the nonpartisan Dakota County Commissioner District 7 race, in which two candidates have filed.
Here are the candidates Apple Valley residents should see on their primary ballots (Editor's note: The names of state and local-level candidates who responded to our candidate survey are linked to their responses; those who did not respond to our survey are not linked.):
TitleCandidateParty U.S. Senator STEPHEN WILLIAMS INDEPENDENCE U.S. Senator GLEN R. ANDERSON MENZE INDEPENDENCE U.S. Senator DAVID CARLSON REPUBLICAN U.S. Senator BOB CARNEY JR. REPUBLICAN U.S. Senator KURT BILLS REPUBLICAN U.S. Senator JACK EDWARD SHEPARD DEMOCRATIC-FARMER-LABOR U.S. Senator AMY KLOBUCHAR DEMOCRATIC-FARMER-LABOR U.S. Senator "DICK" FRANSON DEMOCRATIC-FARMER-LABOR U.S. Senator DARRYL STANTON DEMOCRATIC-FARMER-LABOR U.S. Representative District 2 DAVID GERSON REPUBLICAN U.S. Representative District 2 JOHN KLINE REPUBLICAN U.S. Representative District 2 MIKE OBERMUELLER DEMOCRATIC-FARMER-LABOR State Senator District 57 PAT HALL REPUBLICAN State Senator District 57 MIKE GERMAIN DEMOCRATIC-FARMER-LABOR State Senator District 57 DEMOCRATIC-FARMER-LABOR Chief Justice - Supreme Court NONPARTISAN Chief Justice - Supreme Court JILL CLARK NONPARTISAN Chief Justice - Supreme Court DAN GRIFFITH NONPARTISAN Associate Justice - Supreme Court 4 ALAN NELSON NONPARTISAN Associate Justice - Supreme Court 4 NONPARTISAN Associate Justice - Supreme Court 4 NONPARTISANAm I Registered to Vote? How Do I Register?
Check your voter registration status here, through the secretary of state's website.
If you are eligible to vote but are not registered, you can register at the polls on election day by bringing proof of residence with you. For a list of approved forms of proof of residence, visit the secretary of state's Election Day Registration website.
Find more information about elections and voting on the Minnesota Secretary of State's website and the city of Apple Valley's website.
