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Lyon Co. sets new record for absentee, mail-in voting

Early voting offered this Saturday

MARSHALL — Lyon County has already broke an all-time record for early voting with 5,218 absentee and mail ballots accepted so far, according to Auditor/Treasurer E.J. Moberg.

Moberg said the county had sent a total of 8,207 absentee and mail ballots to Lyon County voters, and had accepted 5,218 by Monday afternoon. That breaks the all-time record set by the 2018 general election when Lyon County accepted a total of 3,047 absentee and mail ballots.

Some of the high turnout for early voting comes from having an increased number of mail ballot precincts in Lyon County this year, Moberg said. Out of the county’s 33 voting precincts, a total of 26 have switched to using mail ballots only. That figure includes all of Lyon County’s rural townships as well as some cities.

The seven remaining precincts that will have in-person voting next Tuesday are Marshall’s three voting wards, and the cities of Cottonwood, Minneota, Russell and Tracy.

Moberg said so far, the county has accepted ballots from all 33 precincts. Nordland Township, one of the townships that switched to mail ballots this year, has been the precinct with the largest voter turnout so far, with 71% of ballots accepted. However, some precincts that have switched to mail ballots this year have also had low voter turnouts so far. Clifton Township has had 41% of its ballots turned in and accepted, and Monroe Township has had 42% of its mail ballots turned in and accepted, Moberg said.

As of Monday, Moberg said the largest ballot returns so far had been from the three Marshall wards, with 2,141 ballots; the city of Tracy with 225 ballots; Lake Marshall Township with 241 ballots; and the city of Balaton with 200 ballots.

The Auditor/Treasurer’s Office won’t be tallying up early votes or releasing results until election night, Moberg said. However, teams of election judges started processing ballots last week. On Wednesday and Thursday last week, the judges were able to scan in over 4,000 early ballots, he said.

The county Auditor/Treasurer’s Office will be open extended hours this weekend for voters to turn in absentee ballots.

The Lyon County Auditor/Treasurer’s Office will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, as well as being open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Monday, Moberg said.

Voters can deliver their absentee ballots to the office, or place them in the secure drop box in the government center’s main lobby.

Ballots can be returned by hand until 3 p.m. on Nov. 3. If a ballot is returned by mail, it will be accepted until Nov. 10 — but it must be postmarked on or before Nov. 3.

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