Ritchie: Absentee ballots can be cast today

Minnesota' top election officials is reminding voters who will be out of their precinct Tuesday for Election Day that they can still vote by absentee ballot Monday.

Secretary of State Mark Ritchie said about 87 percent of people who requested absentee ballots have already returned them. Auditors' offices, or in some cases, city clerk offices, are open until 5 p.m. to accommodate absentee voters in person.

"It's real important: If anything might keep you from voting regularly on Tuesday, please get to your clerk's office, or your county courthouse," Ritchie said. "If you're in line by 5 today, or if you're in line by 8 o'clock tomorrow night, you will still be able to vote."

Ritchie said some of those absentee voters included deer hunters who left town for the season opener, as well as emergency humanitarian workers who could be called to help with storm-relief efforts on the East Coast.

Voters can track their absentee ballots at MNvotes.org.