Daily Staff Writer

Ames residents and students registered to vote in Ames may now vote absentee ballot to increase the hotel/motel tax from 5 percent to 7 percent, according to a press release from Story County Auditor and Election Commissioner Judy Emmons.

Voters must be registered by April 16 if they have never voted in Story County before.

Absentee ballots are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Story County auditor’s office, located at the courthouse in Nevada, until April 26. They also can be requested by mail.

The general election will be held April 27, and no absentee voting can be done in the auditor’s office that day.

Absentee ballots for this election must be postmarked on or before April 26 or hand-delivered to the auditor’s office before 8 p.m. April 27 in order to be counted.