Early voting begins Thursday for the March 17th Primary Election.
Marion County Clerk Steve Fox says you can vote early on the second floor of the courthouse outside his office from eight am to four pm Monday through Friday on any day the courthouse is open. All statewide offices and state representative seats are up for election, along with some state senate seats, as well as some countywide and county board seats. There is also a 4th Circuit wide race for an open judgeship.
The clerk’s office is also now accepting applications by mail or in person for vote by mail voting. New this year is a request to mail your ballots back by March 10th or deliver them in person to the county clerk’s office up to election day. Fox says the change is the result in how the post office postmarks mail. In the past it was done at the local post office, but the postmark is now not applied until it reaches the St. Louis mail sorting facility. As a result, a postmark could take place several days after the actual mailing resulting in the extra time needed to make sure you make the deadline for absentee voting.
You have until February 17th to register or update your voter registration. After that, you can participate in grace period voting where you register and vote the same day up to election day at the county clerk’s office.
There will also be a temporary early and grace period voting site at the Centralia Township Office at 148 South Poplar in Centralia. You can vote there on Wednesday March 4th and 11th from nine to three. Grace Period voting will be available on March 17th from six am to seven pm.
Polls will be open on election day, March 17th, from six am to seven pm.
