MOORHEAD — Ballots for early voting in Minnesota's presidential primary election have arrived in Clay County, according to the county auditor's office.
The ballots showed up Tuesday, Jan. 21, although voters were eligible to vote starting Friday.
They were late in arriving because Clay County couldn't order ballots from its printing company in the Twin Cities because of a lawsuit challenging the decision by the state Republican Party to put only President Donald Trump's name on the Republican ballot. The case, which eventually allowed Trump to be the only name on the ballot, wasn't settled until Jan. 9.
Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon gave the green light to counties to print ballots that same day.
As of Wednesday, 85 county residents had already voted in the county auditor's office on the second floor of the Clay County Courthouse at 807 11th St. N., said Shannon Morin, who works in the office.
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Residents can also fill out a request for an absentee ballot from the county auditor's office or the Secretary of State's website, and it would then be mailed to the voter. For those wanting to vote at their polling locations, the presidential primary is set for Super Tuesday, March 3, in Minnesota.
Minnesota's presidential primary voting on March 3 will be held at the same polling sites around Clay County and the rest of the state as during the general election. For other state and local offices, there will still be the August primary.
Minnesota residents who turn 18 by March 3 can vote in the presidential primary. Those who aren't registered can do so by Feb. 11 at the Clay County Auditor's Office, or they can register at polling places the day of the primary.
In Clay County, three towns and 18 townships vote only by mail ballots. The towns are Comstock, Georgetown and Hitterdal. Registered voters will be mailed ballots for the presidential primary in those locations.
