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After another long election season, Election Day is finally right around the corner.

Absentee voting has been open for about a month and a half, and additional hours will be available to vote by absentee ballot in-person this weekend.

The Freeborn County Auditor-Treasurer’s Office will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. both today and Sunday and then from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday. The office is on the main level of the courthouse.
If you’re the type of person who likes to vote more traditionally on Election Day, we encourage you to do your civic duty on Tuesday and get out to the polls.

There are many safety protocols in place to protect the integrity of your ballot, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website.

The site states counties mark voters’ records in the statewide voter registration system to reflect when someone votes in an election, and the system checks for anyone who votes more than once.

The system is updated daily with things like deaths, convictions of felonies, revoked voting rights, noncitizens who are here on temporary visas and when people move.

Database matches with the Department of Public Safety and Department of Corrections are also run to ensure only eligible voters cast ballots. If an individual registered or voted when they are not eligible, their record is turned over to the county attorney for review.

We encourage you to make sure you are educated about who is on the ballot before voting, and remember that what happens on Tuesday will have a long-lasting effect on the community, state and country.