MARSHALL — The absentee voting period for November’s elections starts today. The Lyon County Auditor/Treasurer’s Office will be open for absentee voting, and will also have extended hours on certain dates.

In addition, mail-in ballots will be going out to 18 voting precincts in the county, the Auditor/Treasurer’s Office said Thursday.

Absentee voting for the Nov. 5 general election starts Friday, and runs through Monday, Nov. 4, the Auditor/Treasurer’s Office said. The Auditor/Treasurer’s Office, located on the second floor of the Lyon County Government Center in Marshall, will be open for absentee voting Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The office will also be open for absentee voting on Saturday, Oct. 26, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; on Tuesday, Oct. 29 from 8 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 2 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; Sunday, Nov. 3 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., and Monday, Nov. 4 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

There are online resources available to help eligible voters register, check their registration, find their polling places and more, the Auditor/Treasurer’s Office said. Voters can go to MNvotes.org for more.

Mail ballots go to 18 precincts

A total of 18 of Lyon County’s 33 voting precincts will be using mail-in ballots for November’s election, the Auditor/Treasurer’s Office said. Those precincts include 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 in these precincts will each receive a ballot in the mail about one month before the election, the Auditor/Treasurer’s Office said. Ballots are sent between 46 to 14 days before the election, using non-forwardable mail.

Each ballot comes with a postage-paid return mailing envelope, a ballot secrecy envelope and instructions for marking and returning the ballot, the Auditor/Treasurer’s Office said. All mail ballots will also require the signature of a witness.

Voters can return their ballots by mail, in person, or by asking someone to bring the ballot to the Auditor/Treasurer’s Office. However, one person cannot deliver more than three ballots.

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

The Auditor/Treasurer’s Office at the Government Center will be the polling place for mail ballot precincts. The polls will be open on Nov. 5 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.