Absentee voting for the general election in Freeborn County, and across the state of Minnesota, starts this Friday.

According to Freeborn County Auditor-Treasurer Dennis Distad, voting absentee is an option for citizens who are unable to get to their polling sites on Election Day, Nov. 2.

“Say you’re out of town on Election Day, on vacation or going south for the winter, or you have an illness or disability that you can’t get out of the house,” he said are typical reasons for choosing this option.

According to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office, voters can choose to vote absentee by mail, in person, or by using a designated agent. People who have moved into or within Freeborn County, but are not registered to vote at their current residency are eligible to apply for an absentee ballot.

Distad said voters who are registered and choose to vote absentee can come into the Auditor-Treasurer’s Office at the Freeborn County Courthouse and fill out a short request form. Those not registered to vote will receive a voter registration application along with the materials needed to cast an absentee ballot. “It’s not a complicated process,” Distad said.

The Minnesota absentee ballot application, which closely resembles the application required to vote in your precinct in person, is a one-page, eight question form, including your basic personal information: name, date of birth, home phone number, address and reason for the request.

Along with the application, voters registering in person must provide accepted proofs of residence: a valid Minnesota driver’s license, Minnesota ID card or permit with current address. Distad said that if the voter’s identification is expired but has a photo on it, that photo ID can be used along with a document that does have your current address, such as a current student fee statement, an original utility bill due 30 days before or after the election or a rent statement that shows utility expenses including gas, electric, solid waste, water, sewer, home, cell phone, television or internet service provider.

Once the application is completed and eligible identification is verified, the voter can be issued his or her ballot, on the spot.

“They will issue the ballot right here and you can go into the booths just outside our office or into a private area here in the office,” Distad said.

After completing the absentee ballot, Distad said it will be sealed into one envelope, and then secured into a second envelope to maintain privacy. “Those envelopes are then opened closer to the Nov. 2 date, counted and added to the general population’s votes,” he said.

Voters can also choose to vote absentee by mail, simply by calling the Freeborn County Auditor-Treasurer’s Office. “They will check to see if you’re registered and if you’re not, they will send you an application,” Distad said.

A designated agent can also be assigned for absentee voters. “If there’s an emergency and you’re in the hospital, you can do what’s called agent absentee where we send the ballots with someone of your choice to the hospital or where you’re at,” he added.

In this scenario, the designated agent may pick up the ballot seven days before the election through 2 p.m. on election day. The agent must be at least 18 years old, have a pre-existing relationship with the voter, and cannot be a candidate. After the voter has completed the ballot, the agent must return it to the county office no later than 3 p.m. on Election Day.

Over the years, Distad said, absentee voting in Freeborn County has held pretty steady usage. “In the 2008 general election, which was a presidential year, we had about 1,850 absentee ballots countywide,” he said.

According to Distad, Freeborn County had about 22,000 registered voters altogether in that same election.

“It’s very easy and painless,” said Distad. “Whether you vote here, absentee, or go out to the polls on election day, voting is the civic thing to do.”

The Auditor-Treasurer’s Office at the Freeborn County Courthouse in Albert Lea is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday for absentee voting. The office will also be open on Oct. 30 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Distad said to call 507-377-5121 for those with questions about absentee voting.

According to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office, voters may vote by absentee ballot for one of the following reasons:

• Absence from the precinct (away from home).
• Illness or disability.
• Serving as an election judge in another precinct.
• Religious discipline, observance or holiday.
• Eligible emergency declared by the governor or guarantee declared by the federal or state government

To vote using a designated agent, a voter must meet one of the following qualifications:

• Patient in a health care facility.
• Disabled or has an incapacitating health issue.
• Resident of a group home.
• Resident of a shelter for battered women.
• Resident of an assisted living facility.