Voters will head to the polls June 7 for 2022 Primary Election

Tuesday, June 7 will be the Primary Election to determine which candidates will be representing their respective political parties in the 2022 General Election in November. A Public Notice of Election listing all candidates on this year’s Primary Election ballot for the respective races in each of the Republican and Democratic parties was published on Page 24 in the May 25 issue of this newspaper, listing races at the Federal, State and County levels of government for voters to make their selections in, along with additional ballot and election information, including the polling location times opening at 7 a.m. and closing at 8 p.m. for all 10 polling sites that June 7 Primary Election day. The actual sample election ballots may now be viewed at the Allamakee County election website: https://allamakeecountyelections.iowa.gov/.

AWARENESS OF POSSIBLE POLLING LOCATION CHANGES
Based on changes required following the 2020 Census for redrawing voting ward and precinct boundaries due to any population changes, and other logistic adjustments, voters should take note of any changes in their polling location beginning with this June 7 Primary Election. Voters in Allamakee County should have received the first of two mailings from the Iowa Secretary of State’s office on behalf of the Allamakee County Auditor’s office confirming the voter’s main polling place for all regular elections, starting with the June 7 Primary Election. A second mailing will come in October, before the 2022 General Election.

Following the 2020 Census and other adjustments, the following local voting precinct changes are now in effect:
• The precinct for Post and Franklin townships and the precinct for City of Postville have been permanently combined into one precinct (Precinct 3 - Memorial Hall, Turner Hall, Postville);
• The permanent polling place in Lansing (Precinct 6) has been changed to the Immaculate Conception Church Hall from its previous location of Kerndt Brothers Community Center;
• Some voters in and around the City of Waukon have had their polling place changed due to redrawing of precinct boundaries. The most notable change there affects voters in and around the City of Waukon, as some voters who are living just outside Waukon city limits in Jefferson and Ludlow Townships and have previously voted at St John’s Lutheran Church, and some living in Union Prairie Township who have previously voted at the Allamakee County Courthouse, will now join all other township voters immediately outside the City of Waukon in voting at the Waukon Banquet Center (Precinct 2).

The City of Waukon Ward voting locations remain the same: Ward 1 voters will vote at NICC Waukon Center, Ward 2 will vote at St John’s Lutheran Church, and Ward 3 on the lower level of the Allamakee County Courthouse. City of Waukon voters and surrounding township voters who formerly voted with City of Waukon voters are reminded to check their recent Secretary of State mailing to see if their Ward and voting location have changed.

BALLOTS AND CANDIDATES
This year’s Primary Election ballots in Allamakee County will include just two contested races between declared candidates on each of the Democrat and Republican ballots. Those races include one each at the U.S. Senate and State of Iowa level.

That U.S. Senate Primary race features three candidates to choose from on the Democrat ballot in Abby Finkenauer, Michael Franken and Glenn Hurst, with the Republican ballot also having incumbent Charles Grassley being challenged by Jim Carlin. The winning Democrat and Republican vote-getter will then square off in the November 2022 General Election.

The State of Iowa contested races on each ballot include different offices, with the contested Democrat race being for the Secretary of State nomination between Joel Miller and Eric Van Lancker to square off against uncontested Republican incumbent Paul Pate in November’s General Election. On the opposite spectrum, the contested State of Iowa race on the Republican ballot is for the nomination of Auditor of State between Todd Halbur and Mary Ann Hanusa, the winner of which will then challenge Democrat incumbent Rob Sand in November, with Sand running unopposed in the June 7 Primary.

Although Republican voters will notice a pair of declared candidates on their June 7 Primary ballot for Allamakee County Supervisor, with two Board of Supervisors seats up for election in the November General Election, both the Democrats and Republicans are able to nominate a candidate for each of those two seats. Both incumbent Larry Schellhammer and Dennis Keatley are listed on the Republican June 7 Primary ballot, and can both be voted for (Vote for no more than Two on the ballot). On the Democrat ballot, incumbent Dan Byrnes is the only candidate declared for ballot listing in that Supervisors race, with a write-in space also available for a second Democrat candidate to also possibly be nominated for the November General Election seeking to fill the seats up for election this year that are currently occupied by Schellhammer and Byrnes.

The three other Allamakee County government offices up for election this year will not feature any contested Primary races, as Republican incumbents Jennifer O’Neill and Anthony Gericke are seeking to retain their Allamakee County Treasurer and Attorney offices unopposed, respectively, and Karen Kay Mathis is seeking the office of Allamakee County Recorder unopposed on the Republican Primary ballot as well, in light of current Allamakee County Recorder Deb Winke not seeking re-election due to planned retirement. There are no declared candidates on the Democrat Primary ballot for any of those three offices.

Additional candidates listed on their respective political party ballots for the June 7 Primary Election will include the following candidates listed below with their respective offices. Any office not listed under the opposing party ballot means there is no declared candidate seeking his/her party nomination for that office. Candidates nominated via the June 7 Primary will square off in their respective races in the November 2022 General Election.

Of note, the District listings for some Federal and State candidates on the June 7 Primary Election ballot are the result of redistricting conducted every 10 years following U.S. Census updates. Allamakee County voters will note that the U.S. Representative District 1 they have been accustomed to has now changed in name to District 2, and the former State of Iowa House of Representatives District 56 is now changed in name to District 64 for the next 10-year period.

DEMOCRAT BALLOT
• U.S. Representative, District 2: Liz Mathis
• Iowa Governor: Deidre DeJear
• Auditor of State: Rob Sand
• Treasurer of State: Michael L. Fitzgerald
• Secretary of Agriculture: John Norwood
• Attorney General: Tom Miller

REPUBLICAN BALLOT
• U.S. Representative, District 2: Ashley Hinson
• Governor: Kim Reynolds
• Secretary of State: Paul D. Pate
• Treasurer of State: Roby Smith
• Secretary of Agriculture: Mike Naig
• Attorney General: Brenna Bird
• State Representative, District 64: Anne Osmundson.

VOTER ID REQUIRED
All voters are required to provide an approved form of identification at the polling place before they may receive and cast a regular ballot. Any voter unable to show approved ID may have their identity attested to by another registered voter in the same precinct who has proper ID and vote a regular ballot, or may vote a Provisional ballot and provide ID to the County Auditor by Monday, June 13 at Noon to have their ballot counted.  Voters who are not pre-registered or who have changed precincts may be required to also provide proof of residence. For additional information about voter identification, visit https://sos.iowa.gov/voterid.

ABSENTEE VOTING
In-person absentee voting is available at the Allamakee County Auditor’s Office through Monday, June 6. Regular office hours are Monday through Friday during regular office hours of 8-4 p.m. The Auditor’s Office will also be open for absentee voting this Saturday, June 4 from 8-4 p.m. Mailed absentee ballots must be received by the Auditor’s Office no later than 8 p.m. Election Day to be counted.

Voters in the Primary Election must declare either the Republican or Democrat Party. Voters may change their party affiliation at the polls, if desired. Any questions regarding the 2022 Primary Election should be directed to the Allamakee County Auditor’s Office at 563-568-3522.