CHARLESTON Absentee ballots for the upcoming special gubernatorial election are in the mail, on their way to deployed military and overseas citizens.

County Clerks across West Virginia were required to send out requested absentee ballots at least 46 days before the election.

The ballots must be sent out several weeks in advance for several reasons: to ensure the ballot gets to the voter, that the voter has time to mark his or her ballot, and that the ballot can be returned in time to be counted.

The last day a deployed military or overseas voter can request an absentee ballot is May 9. Overseas absentee ballots must be postmarked by May 14 and received by May 19 in order to be counted.

Voters under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act also have the option to request an electronically transmitted ballot which they can print themselves, vote, and then mail back.

Election Day for the 2011 Special Gubernatorial Primary is May 14.

On the Secretary of State’s website overseas voters can find information about how to register to vote and how to request a ballot from their county clerk’s office. That link can be found at the top of the website at www.wvsos.com.

– From staff reports