NEW ULM — Brown County Auditor-Treasurer Jean Prochniak, who is also the county’s chief election official, urges voters who have not mailed in or returned absentee ballots to the AT office to deliver them in person soon.

In light of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals decision on Thursday that orders state election officials to hold separate any mail-in ballots that arrive after Nov. 3, election officials are urging voters to deliver their ballots before Nov. 3 to make sure they are counted. The Appeals Court ruling overturns a state agreement that votes postmarked by Nov. 3 would still be counted if they arrive before Nov. 10.

“Voters need to get their ballots here as soon as they can,” Prochniak said Friday. “They should know that we’ll be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31 (Halloween).”

Prochniak said as of Thursday, Oct. 29, 78% (7,499 of 9,657) of ballots sent out by the Brown County AT Office have been returned.

“That’s a very good percentage, I would say,” said Prochniak.

Ballots can be returned in person to the office they came from until 3 p.m. on Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 3).

Residents can drop off ballots for up to three other voters, but will need to show identification with name and signature when returning a ballot for someone else. Ballots may not be dropped off at polling places on election day.

“It is too late to rely on mail service to return absentee ballots in time. We recommend ballots be dropped off in person to the election office that sent your ballot,” read a message on the Minnesota Secretary of State website: https://www.sos.state.mn.vote-early-by-mail.

Prochniak said the postal service has been very good to work with.

“They’ve been very cooperative with us. They’re going out of their way for us,” she said.

Prochniak said the New Ulm Post Office is intercepting mail ballots so they don’t go to the Minneapolis district post office and back to New Ulm.

“I believe there is time yet for ballots mailed Friday or Saturday to get to our office by Tuesday,” said Prochniak. “But if anybody has any doubts, just drop them in the drop box (in the law enforcement center lobby) and they’ll be just fine. I’ll check the drop box several times this weekend to make sure there is room for more.”

Prochniak said anyone who requested an absentee ballot, is not eligible to vote in person at the polls on Tuesday.

For more information, visit the Brown County website at co.brown.mn.us. Click on elections under Auditor-Treasurer Information in the upper left corner.

(Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com).