Elections & Voting
The City of Medina administers city, state, and federal elections in even-numbered years for Medina residents. The city administers elections for the school districts of Orono, Rockford, and Delano in even-numbered years for Medina residents. The school district of Wayzata held a school board election in 2025 and will transition to even-year elections beginning in 2028.
2026 Elections
There are two scheduled elections in 2026:
- State Primary Election held on August 11, 2026
- General Election held on November 3, 2026
Polling places are open from 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. on Election Day. On Election Day, you must vote at your designated polling location, based on where you live. This location may be different than the early voting locations.
Medina’s City Council includes a mayor and four council members. The mayor serves a two-year term of office and council members are elected at-large to serve four-year terms. The follow City Council seats will be on the November 3, 2026, general election ballot for terms that begin in January 2027:
- Mayor (two-year term)
- Councilmember (four-year term)
- Councilmember (four-year term)
To learn about becoming a candidate for Medina mayor or city council, visit the candidate filing page.
State Primary Election - August 11, 2026
What is a primary election?
A primary election determines which candidates will be on the ballot in the November general election.
The purpose of the primary is to narrow the field of candidates for a single office. Not all races will require a primary election because it is based on the number of candidates who file for the office. A primary election is required if two or more candidates file for the same office.
For example, five candidates from one political party might run for the same office. Only one candidate can be on the ballot to represent their party for that office in November. The winner of the August primary election will represent their party on the November election ballot.
What types of offices can I vote for at a state primary election?
There may be two kinds of offices on your primary ballot: partisan offices and nonpartisan offices.
Partisan offices will list a political party next to a candidate's name on the ballot. All state and federal offices are partisan offices.
Examples of partisan offices that may require a primary election in 2026 include:
- Federal offices such as U.S. Senator and U.S. Representative,
- State offices such as Governor and Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, State Auditor, Attorney General, State Senator and State Representative.
Nonpartisan offices will not list a political party next to a candidate's name on the ballot. All judicial, county, city and school district offices are nonpartisan.
Examples of nonpartisan offices that may require a primary election in 2026 include:
- Hennepin County Attorney
- Three Rivers Park Commissioner
One side of your ballot will contain races for all state and federal offices (partisan offices) that require a primary. Candidates for partisan offices will be listed in multiple columns on your primary ballot. Each column will list the candidates for one major political party.
Are there any special rules for voting in a state primary election?
In a state primary election, you can only vote for candidates from one political party on your ballot. If you vote for candidates from more than political party, your votes on the partisan side of your ballot will not count. You decide when you vote which one of the parties you will vote for - Minnesota does not have political party registration.
One side of your ballot will contain races for all state and federal offices (partisan offices) that require a primary. Candidates for partisan offices will be listed in multiple columns on your primary ballot. Each column will list the candidates for one major political party.
One side of your ballot will contain races for all judicial and county offices (nonpartisan offices) that require a primary. You can vote for any candidate on this side of your ballot.
Will any city of school district offices be on the ballot?
Medina city offices do not have a primary election. City and school district offices will be on the general election ballot on November 3, 2026.
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