MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Coon Rapids Seeks Election Judges for August Primary and November General Election

COON RAPIDS, MN (July 28, 2026). The City of Coon Rapids is recruiting election judges to help administer voting during Minnesota’s August primary and November general election, with students between the ages of 16 and 18 also encouraged to apply.

The primary election will be held Tuesday, August 11. The general election is Tuesday, November 3.

Election judges administer procedures at polling places, assist voters and help ensure that voting is conducted fairly and in accordance with state law.

The positions are paid. Coon Rapids currently compensates election judges at $12 per hour, including the time spent completing required training.

Who Can Serve

Adult election judges must be Minnesota residents who are eligible to vote and able to read, write and speak English.

Appointments are recommended by the Coon Rapids city clerk based on staffing needs for each election and formally approved by the City Council.

Election judges may perform several duties at polling places, including:

• Preparing the polling place before voting begins.
• Registering eligible voters.
• Checking voters into the polling place.
• Explaining voting procedures.
• Showing voters how to mark their ballots without influencing their choices.
• Assisting voters with visual, hearing or other accessibility needs.
• Monitoring ballot equipment and voting areas.
• Completing required election records.
• Helping close the polling place after voting ends.

Election judges must remain impartial while performing their duties. Their responsibility is to administer the election process, not advocate for a party, candidate or ballot position.

Paid Training Is Mandatory

Every election judge must complete a two-hour training course before serving. The city provides the training and pays judges for the time spent attending it.

Training covers polling-place procedures, voter registration, ballot handling, accessibility, election security and the legal responsibilities of election workers.

Student Election Judges Encouraged to Apply

Coon Rapids is also seeking student election judges between the ages of 16 and 18.

The city’s application materials state that student judges must:

• Be between 16 and 18 years old.
• Be United States citizens.
• Have permission from a parent or legal guardian.
• Be in good academic standing.
• Complete the mandatory two-hour training.
• Serve in the county where they live or an adjoining county.
• Not be related to another election judge working in the same precinct.

Students serving during the November 3 general election must also receive permission from their school to be absent from classes. Students and their families are responsible for transportation to and from the assigned polling place.

Student judges learn the major functions of a polling place, including opening and closing procedures, voter registration, ballot instructions and assistance for voters with disabilities.

State Law Provides Workplace Protection

Minnesota law allows eligible employees to take time away from work without penalty or loss of wages to serve as election judges.

An employee seeking the protection must give an employer at least 20 days’ written notice. The request must include certification from the City of Coon Rapids identifying the dates and hours the employee is scheduled to serve.

An employer may choose to reduce the employee’s regular salary by the amount earned as an election judge during hours the employee would otherwise have worked.

Applicants should address employment-related questions with the city clerk and provide their employers with the required documentation within the statutory notice period.

How to Apply

Interested residents can obtain the election-judge application through the city’s Serve as an Election Judge page.

Completed applications may be scanned and emailed to the city clerk or mailed to:

Coon Rapids City Hall
Attn: Clerk’s Office
11155 Robinson Drive NW
Coon Rapids, MN 55433

Students must also complete the city’s student permission form, including the required parent or guardian signature.

Applicants seeking additional information may contact the Coon Rapids city clerk at 763-767-6493.

The city has not posted a specific application deadline. Residents interested in serving should apply promptly because appointments depend on the number of election judges needed at each polling location.

Verification note: One city student-information flyer incorrectly displays November 5 as the general-election date. The city’s announcement, student permission form and 2026 election calendar confirm the correct date is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

Sources: City of Coon Rapids: Serve as an Election Judge; Coon Rapids student election-judge permission form; City of Coon Rapids election-judge recruitment announcement.

MinneapoliMedia | Community. Culture. Civic Life.