Absentee ballots are ballots you can request to be delivered to you via mail in order to vote without being in person. Depending on where one is registered to vote, an absentee ballot can be requested from the appropriate hometown or current area of residence.

In 2020, a slight majority of voters – 54% – said they voted in person in the 2020 general election, compared with 46% who voted by absentee or mail-in ballot, according to Pew Research Center.

Many people request absentee ballots if they do not have the availability to vote in person, but still wish to vote. 

In Kentucky, the ballot you requested should be delivered by Oct. 25, and your ballot must be returned by mail/received by Nov. 8.

Warren County Clerk Lynette Yates believes absentee ballots are a good option for college students, but that you need to make sure you are informed before you use them. 

College students are eligible to vote via an absentee ballot if they are Kentucky residents who attend college in another state or different county. Non-resident college students who are attending college in Kentucky should contact their local election offices to discuss options or become registered to vote in the state of Kentucky.

“Unless you are really informed and you check out your candidates and you know what you’re voting for, you can really change a community by voting,” Yates said. “You just need to make sure you are aware of what is going on.”

Absentee ballots can be requested at https://www.vote.org/absentee-ballot/ or visit your county clerk’s website.

SGA reporter Bailey Reed can be reached at [email protected].