NEW ULM — Brown County Auditor-Treasurer (AT) Kelly Hotovec said early voting numbers continue to increase.

“Brown County is experiencing strong early voting turnout. As of noon Friday, the county had accepted 3,250 absentee and mail-in ballots. Hotovec said.

“Additionally, 1,150 voters cast direct ballots (an alternative in-person absentee voting procedure where voters vote directly on ballots) since October 18. Early voting continues until Monday (November 4)” she said.

Those numbers compare to 2,045 absentee and mail-in ballots accepted in Brown County as of Oct. 24. As of Friday, there were 16,580 registered voters in Brown County.

Extended voting hours are 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM Saturday and Sunday, November 2-3 and 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Monday, the day before Election Day, at the Brown County Court Auditor-Treasurer’s Office .

Hotovec said the extended hours provide an extended opportunity for voters to return absentee and mail-in ballots. A person aged 18 or over can return up to three ballots for other voters, but will need to show identification with name and signature when returning the ballots.

On Election Day, the only place you can return your absentee ballot is the AT office. If you have not returned your absentee ballot, you may vote in person at your designated polling station. Your absentee ballot will be destroyed and you will be issued a new ballot to cast at the polling station.

The TA office will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Election Day for voters to return absentee and mail-in ballots; and for postal voters to vote using ballot papers or ballot counters. Vote-by-mail precincts include the towns of Cobden, Evan and Hanska and the townships of Albin, Cottonwood, Home, Lake Hanska, Linden, Mulligan, Prairieville, Sigel, Stark and Stately.

On Election Day, most polling places are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., on Election Day, Burnstown, North Star, Bashaw, Eden, and Leavenworth Township precincts are open from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Burnstown and North Star Township polls are at the Springfield American Legion, 5 N. O’Connell. The survey in Bashaw Township is the Comfrey Community Center, 120 Brown St. E. Morgan Fire Hall, 405 Front St., is Eden Township survey. Leavenworth Town Hall, 30741 CR 24, is the Leavenworth Township survey. Milford Town Hall, 24924 Main St., Essig, is the surveyor of Milford Township.

Redeemer Lutheran Church, 700 S. Broadway, is the poll for New Ulm Ward 1.

New Ulm Community Center, 600 N. German, is the Ward 2 poll. Christ the King Lutheran Church, 1515 N. Garden St. is the Ward 3 poll. Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 1400 S. State St., is the Ward 4 poll.

The Heartland and Hermann Express bus systems offer free rides to the polls on Election Day. Voters who wish to vote early can also receive a free ride to the courthouse on any of the bus systems. Passengers should inform bus drivers that they will be voting.

Sleepy Eye Community Center, 115 2nd Ave. NE is the survey for Wards 1 and 2.

The Springfield Community Center, 33 S. Cass Ave., is the poll for Wards 1 and 2.

Over the past week, more than 350,000 Minnesotans have cast their ballots ahead of Election Day. Local election officials have distributed 1,152,900 absentee and mail-in ballots in Minnesota since voting began on Sept. 20.

“More Minnesotans voted in the last week than in the first four weeks of voting for this election,” said Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon. “It’s clear that our state’s longstanding commitment to voting and civic engagement remains. For those who have not yet voted, now is the time to make your plan to vote in person on or before Election Day.”

Minnesotans are encouraged to return their in-person ballots to their local elections office as soon as possible to ensure their vote is counted. It is no longer recommended that you return a postal or absentee ballot by post.

To vote, a person must be 18 years of age or older by Election Day, be a U.S. citizen, be a resident of Minnesota for at least 20 days, not currently incarcerated for a felony conviction, and not under a court order revoking your right to vote.

The deadline to vote before Election Day was October 15. Minnesotans can still register to vote on Election Day if needed.

All polling places have an assisted voting device and a curbside voting option. Voters can bring a person of their choice to assist at the polling station, or a bipartisan team of election judges can provide ballot marking assistance if requested. In special circumstances, voters may authorize an agent to pick up and return an absentee ballot.

Minnesota’s Election Day ballot includes a constitutional amendment to renew the Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund.

It reads: “Will the Minnesota Constitution be amended to protect drinking water sources and the water quality of lakes, rivers and streams? conservation of wildlife habitat and natural areas; improving air quality; and expanding access to parks and trails by expanding the transfer of proceeds from the state-run lottery to the environment and natural resources trust fund and to earmark the proceeds for those purposes?”

To see what’s on your ballot. go to vote411.org or mnvotes.gov/myballot.

To check the status of your vote, go to mnvotes.gov/absentee.