Early voting now available for general election

Absentee voting will be available for the Nov. 4 general election through noon on Monday, Nov. 3.

Any Putnam County registered voter qualified to vote in this general election 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 early voting from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25 and Saturday, Nov. 1.

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:

* Your ID must display your photo.

* Your name on the ID must conform with your voter registration record. Conform does not mean identical.

* Your ID must contain an expiration date and either still be current or have expired some time after Nov. 6, 2012, the last general election.

* Your ID must be issued by the State of Indiana or 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) or may be downloaded from the Indiana Election Division website (www.in.gov/sos/elections/) 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 on Oct. 27.

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 have a ballot mailed to them by filling out the application for an absentee ballot.

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