Residents who won’t be in town come runoff election day still have time to cast ballots in the July 13 race.

But, the deadline for absentee voting is quickly approaching with Thursday being the cutoff.

Absentee Election Manager Audrey Milton said residents who won’t be able to vote in the polls physically July 13 will still be able to request ballots by July 8. People can either go into her office located in the Pike County Board of Registrars in the courthouse or send in ballots by mail.

However, she said while residents can request absentee ballots be sent up until July 8, they must be postmarked by July 12 to be counted in the primary results.

Those serving in the military are an exception.

“If they request it July 8, I will send it that day, but they will have to hurry in getting it back. It would be cutting it close,” Milton said.

There are several reasons someone can vote absentee in an election other than simply being out of town on Election Day.

Those with physical illnesses or infirmities that prevent their presence at the polls, those who have work shifts lasting at least 10 hours and coinciding with polling hours (7 a.m. to 7 p.m.), those enrolled in school outside of where they are registered to vote or polling workers can vote absentee, according to the application for absentee ballots.

Residents need to have a driver’s license number or the last four digits of their social security numbers to vote absentee.

Milton said she has only had 34 ballots cast of the 60 applications she’s sent out.

“It’s a low turnout,” she said.

But, Milton, who worked also during a rarely-high voter turnout election in 2008, said a lot of voters typically come in on the last day to cast ballots.

The 2008 primary election had a runoff between then Commissioner Adam Drinkwater and his opponents Karen Berry and Oren Fannin, so the local interest may have contributed to a higher turnout.

The absentee voting office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed from noon to 1 p.m. for lunch.