Absentee voting for the General Election on November 3 begins on September 18. Voters may obtain absentee ballots in various ways:
•Go to mnvotes.org website – click on “other ways to vote” – then “request an absentee ballot on-line.”
•Go to the Houston County Website https://www.co.houston.mn.us and click on “Vote in the General Election 2020” from the red box on the home page. You will be directed to the MN Secretary of State website to request an absentee ballot on-line.
•Call the Auditor-Treasurer’s office at (507) 725-5803 to request an absentee ballot application. We will mail you an application. You can return the completed absentee ballot application by mail or drop it in the Houston County drop box located at the west entrance of the Courthouse marked “Official Election Ballot Drop Box.”
In addition, many residents have received unsolicited absentee ballot applications in the mail. These applications do not originate from the Houston County Auditor’s Office. They are mailed from organizations with a goal of encouraging everyone to vote (some are non-partisan, some are). These absentee ballot applications request the identical information as those distributed by the Auditor’s Office and the Secretary of State, so you may complete these applications and return them to Houston County. Ensure your completed application is addressed to Houston County Auditor/Treasurer, 304 South Marshall Street, Rm 116, Caledonia, MN 55921.
If you are a registered voter in a mail balloting precinct (Caledonia Township, Brownsville City, Brownsville Township, Union Township, Mound Prairie Township, or Spring Grove Township), you automatically received your ballot and instructions in the mail during the last week of September.
If you registered to vote after October 13 for the General Election, you will get non-registered materials. You may also register at the polling place on Election Day.
Once you have received your absentee ballot, follow the instructions included in your packet to complete your ballot and ballot envelopes. Voted ballots may be placed in the Houston County drop box located at the west entrance of the Courthouse marked “Official Election Ballot Drop Box,” returned in-person to the Auditor’s office or mailed in the U.S. Mail. If dropping off or returning in-person, you must do so on or before Tuesday, November 3. All mailed ballots must be postmarked by Tuesday, November 3rd in order for your ballot to count in the election. We will be accepting ballots through the mail up to seven days after the election as long as they are postmarked by November 3.
If you have any questions, please contact the Auditor-Treasurer’s office at (507) 725-5803 or email election@co.houston.mn.us.