MARSHALL — Minnesota has a primary election coming up in August, and the absentee voting period for the primary is now open.

The Lyon County Auditor/Treasurer’s Office will be open for absentee voting during its regular business hours from June 28 through Aug. 12, the Auditor/Treasurer’s Office said.

Minnesota’s primary is on Aug.13.

In a Friday announcement, the Lyon County Auditor/Treasurer’s Office outlined procedures for casting an absentee ballot, as well as for filling out a mail-in ballot. A total of 18 out of Lyon County’s 33 voting precincts have opted to vote by mail.

The Auditor/Treasurer’s Office at the Lyon County Government Center will be open for absentee voting from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Voters can go online to MNvotes.org to register to vote, find their polling place, request an absentee ballot, and more.

There will also be two days with extended office hours for absentee voting. Voters can cast absentee ballots from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 10, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 12.

Mail ballot procedures announced

The Auditor/Treasurer’s Office also explained voting procedures for Lyon County precincts using mail-in ballots.

A total of 18 precincts have opted to use mail ballots, including the cities of Florence, Garvin, Ghent and Taunton, and Amiret, Coon Creek, Custer, Eidsvold, Fairview, Grandview, Lake Marshall, Lucas, Monroe, Rock Lake, Shelburne, Sodus, Stanley and Vallers townships.

Registered voters who live in these precincts will receive ballots in the mail about one month before the election, the Auditor/Treasurer’s Office said. Ballots are sent out between 46 to 14 days before the election, using non-forwardable mail.

Along with a ballot, voters will receive a postage-paid return mailing envelope, a ballot secrecy envelope, and instructions for using the ballot. All mail ballots require the signature of a witness on the envelope. Voters should follow the instructions included with their ballots, the Auditor/Treasurer’s Office said.

Voters can return their ballot by mail, or by taking it to the Lyon County Auditor/Treasurer’s Office in person. A voter can also ask someone else to deliver their ballot. However, one person cannot deliver more than three ballots, the Auditor/Treasurer’s Office said.

Ballots returned in person must be delivered by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Mailed ballots must arrive before Election Day.

The polling place for mail ballot precincts is the Auditor/Treasurer’s Office. Polls will be open on Aug. 13, from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.

More information on voting and elections is available at the Lyon County website, at www.lyonco.org/election-information.