Allamakee County Commissioner of elections discusses multiple absentee request forms, second mailing of polling locations and new Allamakee County election website
With election season in full swing and the 2022 General Election coming up November 8, Allamakee County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections Denise Beyer has a few reminders for all voters.
ABSENTEE BALLOT REQUEST FORMS
The Allamakee County Auditor’s office has been receiving calls from many voters who have received multiple mailings with an Absentee Ballot Request form enclosed. These mailings do not come from the Auditor’s office.
New legislation in 2021 states a County Auditor’s office may only mail an Absentee Ballot Request form to someone who specifically requests it from that office. The multiple mailings being received should indicate somewhere on the document what organization it is from. Many come from the state or local political parties, the Center for Voter Information, or others. Voters only need to send in one form.
Multiple request forms sent in by the same voter is not illegal, nor does it result in that voter receiving more than one ballot. There are checks and balances in place to prevent that. The Auditor’s office simply staples any subsequent requests to the first one received from the same voter.
Currently, the Auditor’s office is working on entering all requests that have been received. By October 7, all requests should be entered and anyone who has requested a ballot should be able to track it online by going to https://sos.iowa.gov/ and clicking on “Track Your Absentee Ballot” on the right side of the screen.
The first day ballots can be mailed is Wednesday, October 19. These ballots should be in Allamakee County voter’s mailboxes beginning October 20 and 21. In-office absentee voting also begins October 19.
SECOND POLLING PLACE MAILING
Starting this week, as of October 3, registered voters in Allamakee County will be receiving the second of two required mailings from the Secretary of State’s office on behalf of the Allamakee County Auditor’s office. The first of these two required mailings should have been received in May of this year.
This required mailing comes after the 2020 census and the subsequent reprecincting process which redraws precinct lines as needed to keep voting precincts within population requirements, and it tells voters where their polling place is for all regular elections. At the time of reprecincting, the Allamakee County Auditor also permanently combined two precincts in Postville and changed the permanent polling location in Lansing. Due to all the changes, Auditor Beyer chose to have the mailing sent to all voters in the county.
Again, the mailing confirms the voter’s main polling place for all regular elections, starting with the June 7, 2022 Primary Election until otherwise notified. Polling locations for any special elections may be different than regular elections and will be published and available on the Allamakee County Elections website: https://allamakeecountyelections.iowa.gov/.
Here is a review of the polling place changes within Allamakee County:
1) The precinct for Post and Franklin townships and the precinct for the City of Postville have been permanently combined into one precinct, which is still located at Turner/Memorial Hall in Postville.
2) The permanent polling place in Lansing has been changed to the Immaculate Conception Church Hall, and was previously Kerndt Brothers Community Center.
3) Several voters in and around the City of Waukon have had changes to their polling place due to redrawing of Ward/Precinct boundaries. Those living in the City of Waukon are urged to pay close attention to their mailing as their Ward - and therefore their voting location - may have changed.
4) Lastly, the few voters living in Jefferson, Ludlow and Union Prairie who have voted with City of Waukon voters for the past 10 years will now be voting with their fellow township voters at the Waukon Banquet Center.
Residents are reminded to watch for this mailing following this week and to contact the Auditor’s office with any questions at 563-568-3522.
NEW ALLAMAKEE COUNTY ELECTION WEBSITE
Allamakee County Auditor Denise Beyer encourages everyone to visit the new Allamakee County Elections website. The website, specific to anything related to Allamakee County Elections, can be found at this web address: https://allamakeecountyelections.iowa.gov/.
The website has information ranging from links to forms, election reminders, candidate contact information, sample ballots, County election results on Election Night, results of past elections, as well as city, county, state and federal elected officials and more. A link for this new website will be provided on the current Allamakee County Auditor webpage. Contact the Auditor’s office with any questions at 563-568-3522.
