You’ve heard of pop-up stores; Minneapolis has pop-up voting sites

You’ve probably heard of pop-up stores — in which a retail store temporarily pops up in a high-traffic area to test a market or product. Minnesota is jumping on that concept to attract people to vote, rather than buy tennis shoes or yoga pants, at pop-up voting sites.

State lawmakers last year passed legislation allowing cities and counties to set up temporary voting sites where people can vote during different hours and days than already offered at permanent sites. It was part of a wider effort by Democrats to make voting easier, by passing laws allowing things like automatic voter registration, restoration of felons’ voting rights upon release and a permanent absentee voter list.

A dozen Minnesota communities from McGregor to St. Louis Park are offering pop-up polling places this year, according to a spokesman for the secretary of state’s office. Minneapolis’ Elections and Voter Services first did a pilot pop-up last year and this year will hold 11 one-day pop-up voting events at churches, parks and a museum. Each site is open for voting for just one day between Tuesday and Nov. 1. Find locations here.

The first pop-up was at the Weisman Art Museum at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and attracted a long line of voters. City spokesman Allen Henry said 637 voters voted at the art museum Tuesday, which he said was a “new record for pop-up voting not just for the city, but the entire state of Minnesota.”

The city’s elections administrator, City Clerk Casey Carl, recently told Minneapolis City Council members the pop-up sites are part of a larger election investment that will “enable the city to fulfill our pledge to take the ballot to the people in more ways, building on the team’s strong reputation for voter service, ballot access and excellence in election administration.”

The pop-up sites were chosen based on geography, turnout, voting age population, underserved communities, need and access, Henry said. Elections staff looked at pockets of low-turnout areas that they wanted to increase access to and also targeted high turnout areas with the potential for, or history of, long lines on Election Day.

On Wednesday, the city held a pop-up at Catholic Charities Higher Ground Minneapolis, which has an emergency shelter and three apartment facilities serving over 400 people who are experiencing or have experienced homelessness.

Lorna Schmidt, vice president of public policy and government affairs for Catholic Charities Twin Cities, said there was a steady stream of voters all morning, with residents and shelter guests excited to be able to vote on site, and others from the neighborhood voting early, too.

“They don’t have to worry about transportation and it is easier for staff to vouch for them if needed,” Schmidt said. “People who are experiencing homelessness may feel overlooked or unseen — the attention to make this happen for this community means so much more.”

The pop-up sites have the same security and rules as the city’s Early Vote Center at 980 E. Hennepin Av., where people can vote early, during extended hours — including weekends — up until Nov. 4, the day before the election.

This year the city added two additional early voting sites that opened Tuesday and will remain open through Nov. 4. They’re at Urban League Twin Cities, 2100 Plymouth Av. N., and Bethel Lutheran Church, 4120 17th Av. S.

People can also vote by mail by requesting a ballot at mnvotes.gov/absentee.