by Dennis Dalman
The following are two important lists – the first being the early-voting options for residents in Sartell and St. Stephen, the second being the Election Day polling places for those two cities.
On that day (Tuesday, Nov. 5), the polling stations will be open from 7 a.m.-8 p.m.
Sartell Polls
These are the seven precincts and polling places for Sartell residents:
Precinct 1: All residents who live east of Pinecone Road S. and south of 2nd Street S. will vote at the Sartell Community Center (Liberty 2 Meeting Room), 850 19th St. S.
Precinct 2: All residents who live on the east side of the Mississippi River (Benton County portion of Sartell) will vote at the Sartell Public Works Building, 230 Fourth Ave. S.
Precinct 3: All residents who live east of Pinecone Road N., north of 2nd Street S. and south of 5th Street N. will vote at the Sartell Community Center (Liberty 1 Meeting Room), 850 19th St. S.
Precinct 4: All residents who live west of Pinecone Road, south of 2-1/2 Street N., and the portion south of 3rd Street N. that is west of 19th Avenue N. will vote at First United Methodist Church, 1107 Pinecone Road S.
Precinct 5: All residents who live east of Pinecone Road N., north of 5th Street N. and south of 12th Street N. will vote at Messiah Lutheran Church, 320 Fourth Ave. N.
Precinct 6: All residents who live east of Pinecone Road N., north of 12th Street N., and the portion west of Pinecone Road N. that is north of 17th Street N. will vote at Celebration Lutheran Church, 1500 Pinecone Road N.
Precinct 7: All residents who live west of Pinecone Road N., north of 2 1/2 Street N., south of 17th Street N. and the portion north of 3rd Street N that lies west of 19th Avenue N., south of 17th Street N., will vote at Sartell City Hall, 125 Pinecone Road N.
St. Stephen Poll
St. Stephen has just one precinct so all of that city’s residents will vote at St. Stephen City Hall at 2 Sixth Ave. SE.
Early voting
Two other ways to avoid crowds is to vote via mail or vote in person on days before Election Day.
Stearns
If you’re a Stearns County resident, you can vote until Nov. 4 from 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at one of the following: Stearns County Service Center, 3301 CR 138, Waite Park, or at St. Cloud City Lake George Municipal Complex, 1101 Seventh St. S., St. Cloud.
Benton
If you’re a Benton County resident (East Sartell, for example), you can vote in person early at the Benton County Auditor-Treasurer’s Office at 531 Dewey St. in Foley.
Choose a time
Most polling places see a significant increase in voters during the early morning hours (7 a.m. to 9 a.m.) and again in the evening (6 p.m. to 8 p.m.).
To avoid the possibility of long lines, try to go to your polling place during the middle portion of the day. Also, a reminder that a Minnesota law states this: “Every employee who is eligible to vote in an election has the right to be absent from work for the purpose of voting during the morning of the day of that election, without penalty or deduction from salary of wages because of the absence.”
Help available
For those who need help with registration, they can call 1-877-600-VOTE (8683) or contact their county’s election office. The Stearns County Election Office number is 320-656-3920.
