Absentee ballot period for primary starts Friday

Minnesota's top election official is reminding voters that the absentee ballot period for the August 10th primary begins this Friday.

Legislation passed earlier this year moved the state's primary from its traditional September date to assist military personnel and overseas voters. It also shifted the rest of the election calendar a month earlier than normal.

Secretary of State Mark Ritchie said heavy advertising expected for the DFL gubernatorial contest should provide voters with more reminders about the earlier primary.

"In the beginning I think we'll see a lot of applications for absentee ballots coming in," he said. "But we won't really see the effects of it, and we won't really know the totals of those absentee ballots coming in until the actual day of the election itself."

Voters unable to go the polls on August 10th can vote by absentee ballot in person or by mail. The absentee period for the primary runs June 25th through August 9th.