Election Essentials New County Election Facebook page launched
Election Essentials is a weekly series of articles offering a variety of information regarding elections in Iowa and Allamakee County prior to this year’s November 5 General Election. The information is being provided courtesy of Allamakee County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections Denise Beyer.
In an effort to increase voter education and engagement and also provide another avenue for voters to obtain essential information about upcoming elections, the Allamakee County Auditor’s office has launched a new Facebook page: Allamakee County Elections. One goal of the Auditor’s office is voter education and with almost every voter having constant access to the internet via their cell phone or home computer, creating an elections Facebook page seemed like an easy way to educate and inform voters. Voters can stay informed about all aspects of the 2024 General Election right from their Facebook feed.
BLUE VERIFIED CHECKMARK
Election security and integrity is of utmost importance. In Iowa, all election Facebook pages are required to have the blue verified checkmark. Those who search for this new page on Facebook will see this blue checkmark to the right of the page name, Allamakee County Elections. The blue verified checkmark on a Facebook page indicates that the page has been verified as authentic by Facebook/Meta. “Verified as authentic” means the page has gone through steps to prove it represents a notable public figure, brand, or organization, and confirms the legitimacy of the page so users know they can trust the page is valid and trustworthy.
Allamakee County Auditor Denise Beyer says, “If anyone sees a Facebook page that is claiming to be Allamakee County Elections, and it does not have the blue verified checkmark, please report it to the Auditor’s office immediately.”
Beyer further advises not to trust any information on any elections Facebook page that does not have the blue verified checkmark. No blue checkmark may mean someone with ill intentions is impersonating another Facebook page and the page and the information they are posting should be questioned.
OTHER ELECTION RESOURCES
The Allamakee County Elections Facebook page is just one of the resources available to voters in Allamakee County. Some posts will include links to other helpful resources such as the County Elections website, or the Iowa Secretary of State’s website.
The Allamakee County Elections website - https://allamakeecountyelections.iowa.gov/ - has news items, deadlines and special dates, sample ballots, a candidate list, polling locations and addresses, and which cities and/or townships vote at each location. It also has links a voter can click to see if they are registered, where they vote, how to request an absentee ballot by mail and more. On election night, results will be posted on this website.
Text alerts is another new option for voters to stay up-to-date. Some of the same information that is shared through other social media will be sent in texts, such as key dates and reminders. Some examples include a reminder that the first day that ballots can be mailed by the Auditor’s office is October 16; reminders to voters who are returning an absentee ballot to sign the outside of their envelope; reminders that the office is open for in-person absentee voting the Saturday before the election from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. To sign up for the Text Alert option voters can go to the elections website listed above and click the Sign Up for Election Reminders icon, or scan the QR code at the end of this article.
VOTER ENGAGEMENT IS THE GOAL
The goals of using more social media are to reach more voters, educate and provide information to them, and also to increase voter turnout. “People are relying more on social media for their news and information. We want to make sure every eligible voter has the information they need to actively engage in the election and the voting process,” said Allamakee County Commissioner of Elections Denise Beyer. The use of social media, including the new Allamakee County Elections Facebook page, provides many opportunities for voters to find the information they need quickly, at any time of any day.
TRUSTED SOURCE
Your County Auditor’s office should be your trusted source for all election information. Any other source may contain incorrect or misleading information. Unfortunately, with so many sources for people to obtain information, people should always question if what they are seeing or reading is true and not believe everything is from a trustworthy source. Contact the Allamakee County Auditor’s office at 563-568-3522 for accurate information or to report details on anything questionable or suspicious.
