2026 Election Dates

Township Election - March 10, 2026

State Primary Election - August 11, 2026

State General Election - November 3, 2026

Candidate Filing Period

The candidate filing period for Goodwill Township Officials begins on Tuesday, December 30, 2025 and continues through 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 13, 2026. Candidate filings for the following offices are to be filed with the town filing officer:

(3) Town Supervisor Seats

(1) Town Clerk

(1) Town Treasurer

Click here for Candidate Filing Information Packets on MN Secretary of State site. An Affidavit of Candidacy is available here or by email from the town filing officer. There is a $2.00 filing fee and must be included with the Affidavit at the time of filing.

All candidate filings must be received by 5:00 p.m. on January 13, 2026. NOTE: No candidate filings will be taken on January 1st, in observance of New Year’s Day.

Candidate filing is by appointment with the filing officer, Pam Olson, during the filing period. If you would like to make an appointment, or need further information, email: polson@goodwilltownship.org or call 651-248-0253. You may also file on Tuesday, January 13, 2026 from 1:00 until 5:00 p.m. at the Lake Vermilion Fire Brigade building located at 8025 Oak Narrows Rd, Cook, MN.

The Town Election for Goodwill Township, Minnesota, will be held on Tuesday, March 10, 2026.

Election judges are responsible for the administration of election procedures in the polling place. Election judges help to guarantee the rights of voters are protected on election day.

Read the information below about the requirements and time commitment, fill out the Election Judge Application and submit to polson@goodwilltownship.org.

Qualifications to be an election judge

You must:

be at least 18 years old on Election Day and be a U.S. citizen
be a resident of Minnesota for at least 20 days
be eligible to vote in Minnesota
be able to read, write, and speak English
complete required training session(s)
You cannot be:
the spouse, parent, child, step, or sibling of an election judge serving in the same precinct
a candidate or the spouse, parent, child, step, or sibling of a candidate on the ballot in the same precinct
If you are ages 16-17, you may serve as a Trainee Election Judge

Official Duties of an election judge may include:

Setting up polling place
Assist voters, register voters and ensure all qualified voters are permitted to vote
Demonstrate how to vote and distribute ballots to voters
Register new voters at the polling site
Close polling place following voting and determine results after polls close

Time off from Work

You may take time off from your regular job without penalty, other than a reduction in wages equal to those wages you earn while serving as an election judge. A person selected to serve as an election judge must give 20 days written notice prior to the election to his or her employer.

High School Student Trainees

16 and 17-year-old students can work as election judge trainees, receive training, and be paid for their work. It’s a great way to learn about elections and voting, and earn cash at the same time! Click here for more high school trainee information.

If you are interested in being an election judge, please fill out an Election Judge Application Form and return it to polson@goodwilltownship.org

Election Judges

Absentee Voting

You can apply for an absentee ballot any time during the year, except the day of the election. Leave time for election officials to mail your ballot. Use this form to request absentee ballots for most elections.

For the town election held on March 10th, return the completed absentee ballot application via email to polson@goodwilltownship.org If you do not want to send this information online, you can fill out a paper version of this form and return it by mail to:

Goodwill Elections Administrator

8025 Oak Narrows Rd, Unit B

Cook, MN 55723

For state and federal elections, return your completed absentee application to your county election office by mail, fax or email.

To complete this form, you will need to provide:

· Minnesota driver’s license or ID card, or last 4 digits of Social Security number and an email address

Your returned ballot must be received by Election Day. You can return your ballot in person no later than 5 p.m. on Election Day to the election office that sent your ballot.

What's on the March 10, 2026 Ballot?

Township Officials & Terms:

Supervisor Seat A: 1-year term

Supervisor Seat B: 2-year term

Supervisor Seat C: 3-year term

Clerk: 2-year term (even years)

Treasurer: 1-year term (odd years)

Ballot question:

“Shall Option B, providing for the appointment of the clerk and treasurer by the town board, be adopted for the government of the town?”

What does the ballot question mean for the township?

Q: Who decided to put Option B on the ballot?

A: At the October 12, 2025 Town Board meeting, the Goodwill Supervisors voted unanimously to bring Option B to the residents and have them decide whether to have the town clerk and treasurer positions appointed rather than elected. As elected positions, the clerk and treasurer serve two-year terms.

Q: Why is the Goodwill Town Board pursuing the conversion of the Town Clerk and Town Treasurer positions from elected to appointed?

A: There are multiple reasons why the 2025 Goodwill Town Board has made the decision to recommend converting the individual Town Clerk and Town Treasurer positions from Elected to Appointed.

1. Increase the labor pool available to fill the positions

· As elected positions, they must be filled by registered voters of Town of Goodwill. This means that there is an extremely limited pool of possible candidates.

2. Ability to ensure that these critical roles are filled by qualified candidates

· As elected positions, they cannot be required by the board to hold specific qualifications or obtain training (unless required by state law-such as election training for clerks).

· This issue is vital as the positions have become more complicated, more statutorily regulated, and requiring a much higher level of technical capability.

3. Less costs for acquiring essential training and certifications

· The Town could invest in the training and certifications only to have the person voted out the following election, whether the person is performing well or not. Currently, any Town resident can run, qualified or not, and be elected to any position.

4. Ability to retain successful people even if they move out of the township

· There is a steep learning curve for these positions, and there would be a significant impact to the town every time the position changes hands.

Q: What does this change mean for me as a resident?

A: The impact to you personally will vary depending on how involved you currently are in the government of the Town of Goodwill. In general, here is what will change:

1. The Goodwill Town Board will take over the direct responsibility to ensure that the Town Clerk and Town Treasurer are successfully performing their job duties and acting in the best interests of the Town of Goodwill. If someone becomes aware of, or experiences, any misconduct in office or neglect of job duties, they can notify the Goodwill Town Board and the issue can be immediately addressed rather than having to go through a legal electoral process.

2. The Goodwill Town Board will be responsible to ensure that the Town Clerk and Town Treasurer positions are filled by qualified candidates to best serve the Town of Goodwill and its residents.

3. You will not see Town Clerk and Town Treasurer on the March election ballots going forward, only the Town Supervisors.

Q: If I agree that the Town Clerk and Town Treasurer should be converted to appointed positions, how should I mark the ballot?

A: The following question shall be on the ballot: “Shall Option B, providing for the appointment of the clerk and treasurer by the town board, be adopted for the government of the town?” If you are in favor of this option, you should vote “YES.”

Q: What happens to the Town Clerk and Town Treasurer that are on this ballot if the Option B question passes?

A: If Option B is adopted by a majority of the votes cast, the Town Clerk and Town Treasurer candidates elected to their respective offices shall not take office and that candidate’s election shall be null. As soon as is practical after the adoption of Option B, the Town Board shall appoint a Town Clerk and a Town Treasurer based on their training, experience, and qualifications for the positions.

Polling Place

Your polling place is where you go to vote in local, state, and federal elections. With the recent organization of your new township, Goodwill residents now have the opportunity to vote in person in your own community on Election Day! Your new polling place is at the Lake Vermilion Fire Brigade building, located at 8025 Oak Narrows Road, Cook, MN. Your name will not be on the roster at any other location.

The polls will be open on Election Day from 10:00am-8:00pm.

Election Results

Election results will be reported on the website after the Board of Canvass certifies the local election results. The Board of Canvass shall meet within two days after the election. Check here for local election results.