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Elections
City elections in Cottage Grove are held in November of even-numbered years. Candidates file
for mayor or City Council positions at City Hall not less than eight and no more than 10 weeks prior to the
election. City Council elections are non-partisan and candidates run for their seats at large. National, state,
and county general elections also are held in November of even-numbered years. School District 833 elections are
held in November of odd-numbered years.
National, state, and county primaries are held in September of even-numbered years.
Minnesota has a consolidated primary ballot that allows voters to make a secret choice of a major party primary.
The 2008 primary election will be held Tuesday, September 9, 2008.
The 2008 general election will be held Tuesday, November 4, 2008.
More 2008 election information will be available shortly.
2008 Elections
The following election information is available on this page:
City Council Filings
The Mayor seat and two City Councilmember seats will be on the November 4, 2008, General Election ballot. Those seats are currently occupied by Mayor Sandy Shiely and City Councilmembers Myron Bailey and Fred Luden.
People interested in running for the seats must file to run for office. The filing period opened August 26, 2008 through September 9, 2008 at 5:00 p.m.
To file for office, an individual must meet the following requirements:
- Candidate must be an eligible voter.
- Is, or will be on assuming the office, 21 years of age or more; and
- Maintained residence in the City for 30 days before the general election.
Candidates must file an Affidavit of Candidacy and pay a $5.00 filing fee with the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall, 7516 80th Street South, Cottage Grove. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Election Districts
The City of Cottage Grove is located in the following political districts:
Voting Locations
Cottage Grove is divided into 12 precincts. Each precinct has a designated polling place:
Precinct No. 1 - Fire Station No. 3, 7500 Langley Avenue South
Precinct No. 2 - Pinehill Elementary School, 9015 Hadley Avenue South
Precinct No. 3 - National Guard Armory, 8180 Hadley Avenue South
Precinct No. 4 - Cottage Grove Elementary School, 7447 65th Street South
Precinct No. 5 - Crestview Elementary School, 7830 80th Street South
Precinct No. 6 - Park Senior High School Gymnastics Room - 8040 80th Street South
Precinct No. 7 - 833 District Service Center Board Room, 7362 East Point Douglas Road South
Precinct No. 8 - 833 District Program Center Lunch Room, 8400 East Point Douglas Road South
Precinct No. 9 - Light the Way Church, 7000 Jamaica Avenue South
Precinct No. 10 - Grey Cloud Elementary School, 8525 Indian Blvd South
Precinct No. 11 - Cross Roads Church, 7955 Ivystone Avenue South
Precinct No. 12 - Washington County Service Center- Cottage Grove, 13000 Ravine Parkway South
A precinct map can be viewed by clicking on precinct map. The
map is fairly large (65k) and may take some time to download. If you are uncertain from the map where to vote,
please contact the City Clerk's office.
Sample Ballots
Sample ballots for the Primary are on the County's website. Please click here to access them.
Voter Registration
To vote, you must be:
- A U.S. citizen.
- At least 18 years old.
- A Minnesota resident for at least 20 days on Election Day.
- Properly registered.
At least 20 days before the Election Day, Complete a Voter Registration Application, available at City Hall or online. You can download a Voter Registration Application at the Secretary of State's Web site (97KB PDF).
Register in person, or mail the application to the Washington County Elections Office.
To register at the polling place on Election Day, you must have authorized proof of residence:
- Valid Minnesota Driver's License, Learner's Permit or receipt of either with current address located in precinct.
- Valid Minnesota I.D. or receipt with current address located in precinct.
- A registered voter in the precinct who can vouch for you.
- Registration in the same precinct indicating a previous address.
- Mailed notice from the Registration Office indicating late registration.
- Students can show their address in the precinct by using a current fee statement and an I.D. card.
- A tribal I.D. with name, address, signature, and picture of the individual.
A voter may also register using a combination of one approved photo ID (column 1) and one approved utility bill (column 2):
Column 1 |
Column 2 |
Minnesota driver's license with current name (licenses from out-of-state are not acceptable).
Minnesota state I.D. card (I.D.s form other states are not acceptable).
U.S. Military I.D.
U. S. passport.
Minnesota Tribal I.D. |
- Electric bill.
- Gas bill.
- Water bill.
- Sewer bill.
- Solid waste bill.
- Cable television bill.
- Telephone bill.
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You must re-register if:
Your name or address changes.
You have not voted in four years.
How Do I Vote Absentee
If you are unable to vote in person on Election Day, Cottage Grove residents can vote by absentee if they are:
- Absent from precinct
- Ill or disabled
- An election judge serving in another precinct
- Unable to go to the polling place due to a religious holiday or beliefs.
Absentee ballots are available 30 days prior to an election at the Cottage Grove City Hall, 7516
80th Street South, or at the Washington County Service Center- Cottage Grove, 13000 Ravine Parkway South.
Absentee voters must complete an absentee ballot application or provide a signed and dated letter
to receive an absentee ballot in the mail. If providing a letter, be sure to include ALL of the following:
- name
- address in Cottage Grove
- mailing address
- date of birth
- reason for absentee ballot (absent from precinct, illness or disability, religious discipline or observance
of religious holiday, or service as election judge in another precinct)
- type of absentee ballot(s) needed (primary election only, general election only, or both)
- sign and date the letter
Absentee voting also can be done in person at Cottage Grove City Hall or the Washington County
Government Center in Stillwater 30 days prior to the primary and general elections.
Campaign Sign Regulations
The City of Cottage Grove and State of Minnesota regulate the display of campaign signs promoting the candidacy of a
person running for government office. The regulations governing the size and the length of time campaign signs may
be displayed during even-numbered year elections is established by Minnesota Statutes. The City however has the
authority to decide where said signs can be placed. The following regulations apply for placement of signs
along a city roadway only.
 Cottage Grove City Code (Title 9-8)
Non-Commercial Sign: A sign that does not advertise products, goods, business, or services and
that expresses an opinion or other point of view, or promotes the candidacy of a person running for governmental
office.
- Non-commercial signs may be placed in any district inside of the MUSA, providing such signs do not exceed eight
(8) square feet per sign in a residential area and sixteen (16) square feet per sign in any other district.
Non-commercial signs may be placed in any district outside of the MUSA, providing such signs do not exceed sixteen
(16) square feet per sign in a residential area and thirty two (32) square feet per sign in any other district.
- No non-commercial sign shall be on public property, including in a public right of way.
- In residential areas, the maximum number of non-commercial signs allowed on any one lot is two (2), except between
August 1 and November 15, the maximum number of non-commercial signs allowed on any one lot is eight (8).
Prohibited Locations:
- No sign may be erected that by reason of position, shape, movement, color or in any other manner interferes with
the proper functioning of a traffic sign or signal or otherwise constitutes a traffic hazard.
- Signs are not permitted within the public right of way of easements except for public traffic-control signs,
signs erected by or on behalf of a governmental body to post legal notices, identify public property, convey public
information, and direct or regulate pedestrian or vehicular traffic, and civic event banners.
- Signs shall not be tacked or otherwise attached to trees, fences, utility poles, or other such structures or
supports.
- Signs shall not be permitted within a triangular area of a corner lot. This restricted area is at the intersection
of the project curb lines of two (2) intersecting streets, thence thirty feet (30') along one curb line, thence
diagonally to a point thirty feet (30') from the point of beginning on the other curb line, thence to the point
of beginning.
Rule of Thumb - Campaign signs must be placed fifteen (15) feet behind the curb or side of the
road.
Non-Commercial Signs Exemption: (Minnesota Statutes § 211B.045)
In any municipality, whether or not the municipality has an ordinance that regulates the size or number of
noncommercial signs, all noncommercial signs of any size may be posted in any number from August 1 in a state general
election year until ten days following the state general election.
If you have any questions or concerns relating to the placement of a sign on City
property/right-of-way, please contact the Community Development Director, Howard Blin at (651) 458-2824.
Election Day Prohibitions (Minnesota Statutes § 211B.11)
Campaign material including signs may not be displayed within a polling place or within 100 feet of the building in
which a polling place is situated on Election Day.
Who May Be An Election Judge
An election judge must be:
- eligible to vote in the State of Minnesota; and
- affiliated with a major political party; and
- able to read, write and speak English; and
- appointed by the appointing authority (county, city, township, or school board), and
- trained and currently certified as an election judge.
If you are interested in serving, please contact the City Clerk's office at (651) 458-2814.
For additional information, contact:
City Clerk
Caron Stransky
7516 80th Street South
Cottage Grove, MN 55016
651-458-2814
Fax: 651-458-2897
cstransky@cottage-grove.org |
