Absentee voting by mail and in-person begins October 5 for November 3 General Election

Due to COVID-19 there has been more “push” by organizations to get voters to vote Absentee by mail.

The Allamakee County Auditors office mailed the first Absentee Ballot Request form in late July. Other organizations, such as The Center for Voter Information, the Republican and/or Democratic Party of Iowa, and the Iowa Secretary of State have all mailed the same form to voters.  Voters who have already returned one Absentee Request Form do not need to return another form. Duplicate forms are simply attached to the first request received and only one ballot is mailed.

Those who want to check the status of their Absentee Ballot Request may go to www.sos.iowa.gov and click on “Track Your Absentee Ballot” on the right side of screen. They will then be asked for their first and last name and birth date, and must click the box that says “I am not a robot”. The screen will then show from one to three dates: the first date will be the date the request was processed by the auditor’s office; the second date will be the date the ballot is mailed and the third date eventually will be when that ballot is received back in the auditor’s office. If a voter does not have a computer, they may call 563-568-3522 to make sure their request and/or ballot have been received.

The deadline to submit an Absentee Ballot Request form for a ballot to be mailed is Saturday, October 24 at 5 p.m. Forms can be hand delivered to the Allamakee County Auditor’s office in the Allamakee County Courthouse in Waukon, mailed to 110 Allamakee Street, Waukon, IA 52172, or dropped in the Auditor’s box inside the lower level of the courthouse.

In-person absentee voting begins Monday, October 5 at the courthouse, and ends Monday, November 2 at 5 p.m. The hours of in-person absentee voting will be Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Also, residents can vote in person at the courthouse two Saturdays, October 24 and October 31 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Monday, October 5 is the first date ballots may be mailed. Voters who have requested an absentee ballot can expect to receive their ballots in the mail that week. The Auditors in Iowa and the U.S. Postal Service are working closely to get ballots to voters in an efficient manner.

BRING OWN PEN
The Auditor’s office requests that voters bring their own blue or black ink pen when they come to vote, due to COVID-19.

ID REQUIRED
Iowa law now requires all in-person voters to show an ID. Voters need to bring an ID with them to vote either at the courthouse pre-election or at the polls on Election Day.

POLLING PLACES
For this year’s General Election, there will be eight of the normal 11 polling locations in Allamakee County Election Day, November 3. The normal sites at Dorchester, New Albin, Lansing (IC Catholic Church), Harpers Ferry and Waterville will be open.

In Postville there will be one site at Memorial Hall for all voters in Post and Franklin Townships and in the City of Postville.

In Waukon, the Banquet Center will be open as normal for voters in French Creek, Makee and most of Jefferson, Ludlow and Union Prairie townships. One other location will be open in Waukon at First Baptist Church, which will combine the three Waukon Wards and the remaining few voters from Jefferson, Ludlow and Union Prairie townships. This same combined polling place was used for the Primary Election for all City of Waukon voters, right next door to the Banquet Center.

CURBSIDE VOTING
Curbside voting will be an option at all polling locations on Election Day. Anyone who is diagnosed with COVID-19 or is quarantined in the days leading up to November 3 and has not voted absentee can use the curbside voting option, with poll workers who will be trained on how to bring a ballot to curbside and protect themselves in all ways possible. This possibility of being quarantined or becoming ill with COVID-19 near the election is a good reason to consider voting absentee by mail, or voting absentee in-person, to prevent further spread of COVID-19.

Those who have any election questions should call the Allamakee County Auditor’s office at 563-568-3522.