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This year’s election has undoubtedly been different than any other.

Freeborn County Auditor-Treasurer Pat Martinson said as of the end of the day on Monday, about 46% of the city of Albert Lea had already voted by absentee ballot.

She said countywide, there had been about 5,089 absentee ballots cast.  Approximately 92% have been returned. This is more than double the absentee voting from the last presidential election in 2016, when there were about 2,300 absentee ballot requests.

Of the approximately 7,000 mail ballots that went out, Martinson said approximately 80% have been voted/returned.

There will not be any absentee voting today for voters in all six Albert Lea wards and the townships of Freeman, Hayward, Newry and Riceland. People in those jurisdictions will need to go to their polling locations and vote in-person.

Voters in the mail ballot precincts can drop off their ballots through the drop box in the law enforcement entrance of the Freeborn County courthouse or in the Auditor-Treasurer’s Office. People who live in the mail ballot precincts who are not registered to vote should also come to the Auditor-Treasurer’s Office to register and vote there.

Absentee ballots will be accepted until 3 p.m. today at the Auditor-Treasurer’s Office, and mail ballots will be accepted until 8 p.m.

 

Freeborn County Election Day polling locations

• Albert Lea Ward 1, precincts 1 and 2: Edgewater Pavilion, 1940 Edgewater Drive, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Albert Lea Ward 2: First Lutheran Church, 301 W. Clark St., 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Albert Lea Ward 3: United Methodist Church, 702 U.S. Highway 69, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Albert Lea Ward 4: Grace Lutheran Church, 918 Garfield Ave., 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Albert Lea Ward 5: Albert Lea City Hall, 221 E. Clark St., 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Albert Lea Ward 6: Assembly of God Church, 1540 S. Shore Drive, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Freeman Township: Freeman Town Hall, 13517 760th Ave., Glenville, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Hayward Township: Hayward Town Hall, 201 Main St., Hayward, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Newry Township: Newry Town Hall, 29048 890th Ave., Austin, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Riceland Township: Riceland/Hollandale Government Center, 110 W. Park Ave., Hollandale, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

* Registered voters in Albert Lea Township, Alden Township, Bancroft Township, Bath Township, Carlston Township, Freeborn Township, Geneva Township, Hartland Township, London Township, Manchester Township, Mansfield Township, Moscow Township, Nunda Township, Oakland Township, Pickerel Lake Township and Shell Rock Township, along with the cities of Alden, Clarks Grove, Conger, Emmons, Freeborn, Geneva, Glenville, Hartland, Hayward, Hollandale, Manchester, Myrtle and Twin Lakes should have received mail ballots and can drop them off in the drop box right inside the law enforcement entrance to the courthouse or at the county Auditor-Treasurer’s Office. They can vote in-person at the Auditor-Treasurer’s Office, 411 S. Broadway, on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.