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Mower has collected just over 1,000; Deadline to register before election day is Oct. 15

In the first three weeks of voting, local election officials have distributed 616,333 absentee and mail ballots in Minnesota, this according to a release from the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office.

County, city, and township election officials have accepted 220,006 ballots. More Minnesotans are voting early compared to the 2016 General Election. However, fewer Minnesotans are voting early than the record high absentee voting in the 2020 General Election during the pandemic. The Office of the Secretary of State will update absentee voting statistics each Thursday through the fall.

“As we move closer to election day, I encourage everyone to make their plan to vote,” said Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon. “Election officials work hard to make voting as accessible as possible, but Minnesotans still need to get registered and choose their method of voting. If people want to vote from home now is the time to request a ballot to ensure they have enough time for the ballot to be mailed to their home and returned. All ballots must be received by election officials by 8 p.m. on November 5 to be counted.”

Through Oct. 10, Mower County has received 1,088 absentee and mail ballots, with Mower County Auditor/Treasurer Scott Felten indicating a rising trend.

“Absentee voting has been steady and we expect that to increase the closer we get to election day,” Felten said.

To be eligible to vote, a person must be 18 or older by Election Day, a U.S. Citizen, a resident of Minnesota for at least 20 days, not currently incarcerated for a felony conviction, and not under a court order that revokes your right to vote.

The deadline to register to vote before Election Day is on Tuesday, Oct. 15. Minnesotans can also register to vote on Election Day, if needed.

Minnesotans can choose to vote in one of three ways:

By Mail: Minnesotans can vote by mail by requesting a ballot at mnvotes.gov/absentee. About 150,000 Minnesotans live in mail ballot precincts and will be mailed a ballot automatically if they are registered to vote. Ballots must be received by local election offices by 8 p.m. on Election Day to be counted. Voters can track their ballot at mnvotes.gov/trackmyballot.

Early In-Person: Minnesotans can vote absentee in person at their local election office during business hours between Sept. 20 and Nov. 4. There are also special early voting hours during the 2024 General Election:

Saturday, Oct. 25 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 29 open until 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 2 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 3 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 4 open until 5 p.m.

In-Person on Election Day: Minnesotans can vote in-person at their local polling place on Tuesday, November 5. Find a polling place at mnvotes.gov/pollfinder. All polling places are open until 8 p.m. As long as voters are in line to vote by 8 p.m. they can vote. In Minnesota, people can register to vote on election day.   

Voters can call the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State at 1-877-600-VOTE (8683) to ask their voting-related questions. The call center is available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.