Deadline nearing for those voting absentee

Franklin County residents who wish to vote by absentee ballot in the Nov. 2 general election must follow certain steps in order to do so.

Any resident who is qualified to vote can vote absentee by mail or in person at the Circuit Clerk’s office located on the first floor of the Franklin County Courthouse.

The Circuit Clerk’s office is open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

A person wishing to vote by absentee ballot must make application in writing no less than five days prior to the election on Nov. 2 and must meet one of the following requirements:

• The person will be out of the country or state on election day.

• The person has any physical illness that prevents his or her presence at the polls.

• The person works a shift that has at least 10 hours that coincide with the hours the polls are open at his or her regular polling place.

• The person is enrolled as a student at an educational institution located outside the county of his or her personal residence at which prevents his or her attendance at the polls.

• The person is a member of, or spouse or dependant of a member of, the U.S. armed forces.

• The person has been appointed as an election officer or named as a poll watcher at a polling place other than his or her regular polling place.

Voter identification instructions will be provided with each absentee ballot. These instructions must be followed carefully because ballots submitted where the voter did not follow instructions will not be counted.

Any completed application must be returned to the Circuit Clerk’s Office by the voter in person or be sent by U.S. Mail. No one, not even a family member, can return another person’s application and multiple applications cannot be mailed in the same envelope.

Absentee voting can be confusing if a person has never gone through the process before. Because of this, Franklin County Circuit Clerk Anita Scott recommends that people wishing to vote absentee come personally to her office.

“There are so many instructions for voting absentee that it can be easy to miss a step,” Scott said. “We want to ensure that each person’s vote is counted, but if someone who mails in a ballot hasn’t followed the instructions or if they left out their ID, we can’t count their vote.

“It is much easier for a person to come to the clerk’s office and if they have any questions or problems, anyone here would be glad to assist them.”

Scott said that the only thing people need to bring when voting absentee is a valid ID and the process should take no more than 15 minutes.

Thursday, Oct. 28 is the last day voters may apply for a regular absentee ballot.

Mailed ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 1 and received in the clerk’s office by no later than noon on the day of the election.

For additional information about absentee voting, call Circuit Clerk Anita Scott at 256-332-8861.