Absentee voting for Nov. 6 election beginning Oct. 9

Absentee voting will be available for the Nov. 6 municipal election starting Oct. 9 and continuing until noon Nov. 5.

Any Putnam County registered voter qualified to vote in municipal or town elections may vote in advance on the second floor of the Putnam County Courthouse from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The courthouse will be open for absentee voting 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27 and Saturday Nov. 3.

A voter 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. The ID must fit the following criteria:

It must display the voter's photograph.

The voter's name on the ID must conform to the voter registration record. It does not have to be identical.

The ID must contain an expiration date and either still be current or have expired sometime after Nov. 7, 2006.

The ID must be issued either 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 of the courthouse and must be filed before the ballot can be mailed.

The deadline to receive an application for an absentee ballot that will be mailed is midnight Oct. 29.

Individuals confined to their homes due to illness, injury or handicap may request to have a ballot brought to their home by a traveling board.

They can also request to have a ballot mailed to them by filling out an absentee application.

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

The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 9.