Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Nov. 5 General Election is a little over a week away and the Mower County Elections Office will be open additional days and hours to provide more opportunity for voters wanting to absentee vote in person or wanting to drop off their absentee or mail ballot.

According to a release from Mower County Auditor-Treasurer Scott Felten, these extended days and times include:

•  Today: 9 a.m.  to 3 p.m.,

• Tuesday, Oct. 29: until 7 p.m.

• Saturday, Nov. 2: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Sunday, Nov. 3: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Monday, Nov. 4: until 5 p.m.

Regular office hours at the Elections Office are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday

The Elections Office can be reached by calling 507-434-2614 or by emailing elections@co.mower.mn.us.

In-person absentee voting, also referred to as early voting, is currently taking place and runs through Monday, Nov. 4. In-person absentee voting is only available at the Elections Office in the Mower County Government Center which is located at 201 1st Street NE, in Austin. Voters should enter through the main entrance on the northwest side of the building near the Law Enforcement Center.  There is parking available at this entrance.

Because Election Day is a little over a week away, the office is recommending people come to the Elections Office to complete their absentee ballot application and absentee vote, if at all possible, rather than request a ballot through the mail.

If a voter previously requested an absentee ballot be mailed to them, but now has decided they prefer to vote in person, they should bring the ballot and the envelope received in the mail to the Elections Office as this will shorten the time it takes to complete the absentee voting process.

Absentee and mail ballots must be received in the Elections Office by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5 to be counted.  A voter can have someone else drop off their absentee ballot at the Elections Office until 8 p.m. on Nov. 5; this person is called an agent.  However, this agent is limited to dropping off the ballot of up to three other voters.  Anyone who drops off the ballot of someone else must complete a form so the Elections Office can document the limit per agent.

Please note that absentee voting is not allowed on Election Day, Nov. 5. Voters must vote at their designated polling location that day.

The location of polling places is available on the county’s website at www.co.mower.mn.us/341/Where-to-Vote.

Mail Ballot Precincts

Registered voters who live in mail ballot precincts (townships/cities) have been mailed their ballot.

These voters can complete their ballot and mail it back or drop it off at the Elections Office.

If a mail ballot voter prefers to vote in-person, please bring the ballot and the envelopes you received in the mail with you to the Elections Office in the Mower County Government Center as this will shorten the time it takes you to complete the voting process.

Non-registered voters living in mail ballot precincts can vote by coming to the Elections Office and registering first.

Ballot Status and Sample Ballot

Voters can check on the status of their absentee or mail ballot to make sure it was received by going to mnvotes.sos.mn.gov/abstatus/index; then enter your name, date of birth, and ID number (either MN driver’s license number/State ID number, or last four digits of social security number). 

Voters can look at a sample ballot by going to www.sos.mn.gov/elections-voting/whats-on-my