With deadlines approaching soon, the offices of the Pierce County Auditor and the Rugby Public School District business manager have been busy processing vote by mail applications for the June 9 North Dakota primary election.

In an emailed statement, Pierce County Auditor Karin Fursather told the Tribune this week, “We have received 1,011 applications and ballots have been sent to all 1,011. So far, we have received 291 ballots returned.”

Fursather added, “This primary election is vote by mail only due to COVID-19. There will not be (any polling places) open the day of the election for voters to come and vote.”

Fursather said ballots would be accepted at the auditor’s office until June 8. “Ballots have to be postmarked by June 8, and (voters may) drop off their ballots at the courthouse drop box, which is located on the west side of the building,” she said. Fursather said voters had until 4 p.m. June 9 to drop their ballots in the courthouse drop box.

Because a school board election will also be held June 9, Rugby Public Schools Business Manager Dawn Hauck has been taking ballot applications in a drop box at Rugby High School. “The drop box is at the main entrance of the high school,” Hauck wrote in an email Monday.

School board election ballots have deadlines and rules that are different from rules for the primary election, Hauck said.

“The governor didn’t change the rule for school board elections for ballots to be dropped off (on election day) like he did for the counties,” Hauck said. “So for the school board elections, ballots must be dropped off by 5 p.m. on June 8 in order to be counted. They will also be counted as long as they are postmarked June 8. Any ballots dropped off in the drop box the day of the election will not be counted.”

“We have received about 550 applications and have received back 147 ballots as of today,” Hauck noted.

Hauck said she expected more ballots to be returned this week. “There was a large group that was sent out Friday,” she noted

According to a statement by North Dakota Secretary of State Alvin Jaeger, voters are encouraged to mail in their ballot applications “as soon as possible and before May 28. After that date, it would be best to hand-deliver the application to the County Auditor or forward it by email or fax,” the statement read.

Applications may also be dropped off in the courthouse or Rugby High School drop box.

Voters not receiving ballot applications may visit vip.sos.nd.gov/absentee/ to fill one out or contact the Pierce County Auditor’s office at 776-5225, extension 2100, according to the Secretary of State’s office.

Voters not receiving ballots within ten days after mailing in applications should also contact the Pierce County Auditor’s office.