Election Day is less than a week away and the time to return an absentee ballot is slowly closing in. Avoid missing the deadline for returning a ballot by following these instructions on how to properly return an absentee ballot.

The first option is to return the ballot by mail. The envelope requires a forever stamp, and the address should be postmarked to the Board of Elections office in the voter’s designated county. Voters can use a mail drop-off box or take the absentee ballot to the US Post Office.

The second option for returning an absentee ballot is by dropping it off in the ballot drop-box, located on the property of the county’s board of elections office. If the ballot is yours, you can drop it straight into the box. If you plan on returning a ballot on behalf of a family member or a disabled voter, the ballot must be taken inside the Board of Elections, where you sign an attestation form.

Absentee ballots must be postmarked by Monday, Nov. 4, and returned to the Board of Elections office by 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5 to be counted in the 2024 election.

— Olivia Patel