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I had requested a ballot by mail, then found out I have to leave town tomorrow and won't be back until after the election. I was terrified that my absentee ballot might not arrive before I left, so I went down to see if I could vote early in person.
I told the guy that I had requested a ballot by mail, and asked if there was a way I could vote early instead. He firmly said no, and repeated this several times, in spite of me saying I feared I wouldn't get the ballot (this was on the day the ballots were mailed.) He said my only choice would be to vote on Nov. 2 if I didn't get the absentee ballot in time. So I left, hoping that it would show up in time.
It did arrive. (whew.) And what should I read, right there in black and white in the packet that came with it, but that I COULD HAVE signed an affidavit saying I had requested an absentee ballot but didn't get it, and then I could have gotten another absentee ballot to vote early.
So, I was told the WRONG thing by the election official. This was at the county office where early voting is taking place, but I don't know who he was. I felt like going back down there and finding him and making sure he doesn't give misinformation to anyone else, but I don't have time before I leave. I'm sure there was nothing sinister about it, he was just wrong. He had a bit of a huffy attitude, like I was trying to break the rules. :(
Just goes to show how easy it is to turn someone away, though. If I hadn't gotten that absentee ballot in time, I'd have been out of luck.
I'm in New Mexico.
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