Voters in Benton Harbor have been requested absentee ballots at a high rate this year.

Speaking to the Benton Harbor City Commission this week, City Clerk Tiffany Moore said some absentee ballots are already being returned. She tells any residents who haven’t yet sent in their absentee ballots, or who just received them, to drop those ballots off at city hall in person.

“Bring it to our office, put it in the drop box outside, just to avoid a delay in the mail,” Moore said. “Especially if you requested one and it’s just gone out in the next couple days, please just bring it back in. We don’t want to have late ballots come in. We want all of your votes to count.”

Moore said about 50% of the more than 1,050 absentee ballots issued in the city have been returned so far. She also reminded everyone they can vote absentee in-person at city hall through Friday.

Starting Saturday, early in-person voting will be taken over by the Berrien County Clerk’s office and be held at different locations. The early voting for residents in the northern half of Berrien County will be at Lake Michigan College, while residents in the southern half of the county will go to the Berrien County South County Building on North Front Street in Niles. However, residents of Benton Township and Bainbridge Township will have to go to their township offices to vote early.