Students heading to college away from home don’t have to miss out on November’s general election. Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami Covello says students who think they will not be home for the election should request an absentee ballot before they leave for school.

Waiting can lead to unnecessary delays, or it simply might be too late. The last day to register to vote is Tuesday, October 14, and Tuesday, October 28, is the last day to apply for an ballot by mail.

Mercer County voters can pick up an absentee ballot at the Elections Office in the Old Courthouse, 209 South Broad Street in Trenton, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., or at the Mercer County Connection on Route 33 and Paxson Avenue in Hamilton. County Connection also is open on Saturdays. Applications can also be filled out online at www.MercerCounty.org, under the section labeled “County Clerk.”