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ST. PAUL - Secretary of State Mark Ritchie is reminding voters the absentee balloting period for the upcoming election ends Nov. 1. Voters who are eligible to vote by absentee are encouraged to apply for their ballot materials as soon as possible or visit their county auditor's office (or city clerk in some cases) to vote absentee in-person.

In-person absentee voting is offered during regular business hours Monday - Friday through Nov. 1. Extended office hours for in-person absentee voting are available Saturday, Oct. 30 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Monday, Nov. 1 until 5 p.m. Under some circumstances, voters may have their absentee ballots brought to them on Election Day.

Minnesota voters may vote by absentee ballot for one of the following reasons:[[In-content Ad]]

•Absence from the precinct (away from home)

•Illness or disability

•Serving as an election judge in another precinct, or

•Religious discipline, observance or holiday

Voters should carefully read their absentee ballot instructions when completing their materials. Recent court rulings require that election officials reject an absentee ballot if the form on the outer envelope is not completed entirely. Domestic absentee voters who are already registered must provide the following information on their absentee ballot envelopes:

Voter signature and date

Witness name

Witness residential address (do not use a P.O. Box)

Witness title if the witness is an official or notary, with notary stamp if the witness is a notary

Witness signature

In previous years, absentee ballot materials were typically reviewed for acceptance on Election Night. As part of legislative reforms enacted this year, absentee ballot materials are reviewed by absentee ballot boards within three to five days of receipt. This schedule allows any problems to be caught early and voters given another chance to vote. Throughout most of the absentee balloting period, election officials send replacement ballots to voters who make mistakes that result in their ballots being rejected. If problems are discovered less than five days before the general election, election officials attempt to notify voters by phone or e-mail.

Voters can use the Absentee Ballot Lookup to track the status of their absentee ballots. To use this online service or obtain additional information on voting absentee visit: www.mnvotes.org.

Military and overseas voters use a different absentee balloting process. To learn more about this process visit: https://minnesota.overseasvotefoundation.org.

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