MINNEAPOLIS — Community organizations in the Twin Cities are launching a voter mobilization effort that encourages residents to reach out to five people they know and help them prepare to cast ballots in the Nov. 3 general election.
The initiative, called “Power of Five,” will kick off Monday, Oct. 19, with a community gathering from 5 to 7 p.m. at the University of Minnesota’s Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC), 2001 Plymouth Ave. N. in Minneapolis.
Organized by NAZ Parents in Power, We Go High – Minnesota and the 2026 Community Campaign, the nonpartisan effort seeks to turn personal relationships into greater civic participation.
Under the Power of Five approach, participants are encouraged to identify five relatives, friends, neighbors or other people in their communities, discuss issues important to them and help them develop a plan to vote.
The gathering will feature voting information, presentations by community organizers, highlights from candidate interviews and activities designed to help participants begin reaching out to their five contacts. Organizers also plan to serve food, including chili, with chicken, beef and vegan options.
Community Campaign Manager Anndrea Young said the initiative is intended to make voting more accessible while strengthening relationships beyond the election.
“The goal is to make civic participation practical and personal while building trusted community connections that last beyond Election Day,” Young said in a media advisory.
Participants who cannot bring five guests are still encouraged to attend. Organizers say they will provide voting information packets for people who cannot attend in person and offer assistance to those who have not yet identified their five contacts.
Following Monday’s kickoff, organizers plan a 10-day outreach effort from Oct. 20-30, followed by a final voter mobilization push beginning at noon Oct. 30 and continuing until polls close on Election Day.
The effort comes as Minnesotans are already casting ballots in an election that will determine the state’s next governor, members of Congress, state legislators and several other statewide and local offices.
Absentee voting began Sept. 18, while a new early voting process that allows voters to place their ballots directly into voting machines begins Friday, Oct. 16, at designated locations.
Minnesota’s advance voter registration deadline passed Oct. 13, but eligible residents who missed it can still register when they vote, including at their polling places on Election Day. Voters registering in person must provide acceptable proof of residence.
Early in-person voting continues through Monday, Nov. 2. Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Residents can check their registration status, find early voting locations, view sample ballots and locate their Election Day polling places through the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website at mnvotes.gov.
Monday’s Power of Five gathering is free, but participants are encouraged to register in advance at bit.ly/PowerOfFive.
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