Clerk announces absentee voting, registration rules

Monday, October 2, 2006

Absentee voting will be available for the Nov. 7 General Election beginning Tuesday, Oct. 10 and continuing until noon Monday, Nov. 6.

Any Putnam County registered voter may vote in advance on the second floor of the Putnam County Courthouse from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The courthouse will also be open for absentee voting 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28 and Saturday, Nov. 4.

A voter now must provide a government-issued photo ID before casting a ballot in person at the clerk's office or at the polls on election day. And ID must fit the following criteria:

-- ID must display photo.

-- Name on ID must conform with voter registration record. (Conform does not mean identical.)

-- ID must contain an expiration date and either still be current or have expired sometime after Nov. 2, 2004 (the last General Election day).

-- ID must be issued by the State of Indiana or the U.S. Government.

Any person requiring an absentee ballot to be mailed to them in county, out-of-county or out-of-state must complete an application for an absentee ballot. Forms are available at the voter registration office (on the second floor in the courthouse) and must be filed before the ballot can be mailed. The deadline to receive an application for an absentee ballot to be mailed is midnight Monday, Oct. 30.

For those individuals confined to their homes due to illness, injury or a handicap, a request may be made that the ballot be brought to their home by a traveling board, or the individual may choose to have a ballot mailed by filling on the application for an absentee ballot.

A voter wanting to vote by mail or traveling board does not have to comply with the new photo ID law. To request an absentee ballot application, contact voter registration at 655-1538.

The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 10.

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