Advance voting by mail for November’s local general election began Oct. 13. Voters who have already applied to vote by mail will start receiving their ballots later this week.

Voters who receive a ballot by mail will notice the ballot envelopes have been redesigned for this year’s election. The new design provides clearer instructions and makes it easier for voters to correctly sign the envelope.

“A lot of the language on the ballot envelope is set in stone by state law, so we got creative with the design and used best practices to give voters a bigger, bolder signature box and better instructions” said Johnson County Election Commissioner Fred Sherman. “We’re hopeful the result will be less confusion and worry for voters casting their vote by mail.”

Every ballot will also include a card with instructions for filling out the new ballot envelope.