Voters who expect to be absent Nov. 2 from the county they are registered in have until Thursday to apply for an absentee ballot in their respective counties.

Registered voters only can vote absentee from the county they are absent from, said DeKalb County Clerk Sharon Holmes. Absentee ballots are available for voters who are traveling, away from home or otherwise incapacitated and cannot get to their perspective voting locations.

“They can only vote absentee where they’re registered,” Holmes said. For instance, a student who resides in Ogle County would have to get the absentee ballot from that county.

Some NIU students have tried to come into county clerk’s office and get absentee ballots despite being registered in different counties, Holmes said.

Voters have until five days prior to Election Day to apply by mail for absentee ballots. Holmes said her office will stop mailing out ballots the fifth day prior.

Ballots must be received by the election authority no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day to be counted.

People absent on Election Day have up until one day prior to vote in-person at the county clerk’s office. Holmes’ office will have special hours from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Oct. 30 to accommodate walk-ins.

More than 600 people have come into the DeKalb County Administration Building, 110 E. Sycamore St., to pick up absentee ballots, and the office has sent out more than 900, Holmes said. Ballots have gone out to 20 countries, including Spain, France, Russia and Afghanistan.

“It’s a big absentee turnout,” Holmes said, “which tells me that there’s going to be a big turnout on Election Day.”

Holmes estimated a 70-percent voter turnout on Election Day.

All absentee ballots are collected, but not counted, until the DeKalb County polls close at 7 p.m. Nov. 2.

“They will be delivered on Election Day to [the respective] polling place,” Holmes said.

Applications for ballots can be secured by calling Holmes’ office at 895-7149 or by visiting dekalbcounty.org and printing out an application.