You don’t have to wait until November 6th to cast your ballot the absentee polls are already open, and tonight, mayor Steve Luecke is opening up about the issues he’s facing in his face off with Juan Manigault.

“People are concerned about public safety vacant housing and about the public education system as well although most people realize that the mayor doesn’t have any authority over the school system,” South Bend incumbent mayor, Steve Luecke says.

Those are some of the issues he is talking to voters about less than three weeks before they decide if he'll stay in his fourteenth floor office for a fourth term.

On the streets of South Bend, mailboxes have been inundated with post cards, with an anti-
Luecke message.

”It’s a slap in the face to the good people in this community the good businesses in this community. It’s not the way that I believe in campaigning,” Luecke says of the mailings.

He adds that instead of talking about the opponent he’s talking to the people, and he's talking about his record.

”Crime is down 24 percent since I became mayor. In the first nine months of this year down ten percent compared to the first nine months of last year. From retail on the south side, to great new jobs out by the airport, to demolition of the Studebaker buildings to make room for new investment, people are really encouraged to hear about the full picture.”

So far, about 1500 absentee ballots have been sent out in Saint Joseph County, and 550 returned.

Nearly 300 people have stopped by the county-city building to vote.

Election day is Tuesday, November 6.