True Facts about Absentee Voting in Iowa

September 11, 2024

Guest Column by Whitney Hein, Jones County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections

Last week’s column focused on the different methods by which a voter can cast a ballot in the upcoming November 5th General Election. This week, I want to focus specifically on Absentee Voting. Absentee voting is often highlighted negatively by television media, but in Iowa there is no reason to have concern about absentee voting.

Absentee voting by mail was a popular option in the year 2020 due to the global pandemic. In 2020, the Iowa Secretary of State sent an absentee ballot request form to every registered voter in the state making it simple for voters to request an absentee ballot. Since then, there has been a law change and now the only time an absentee ballot request form can be sent to you by a government official is if you specifically request one to be sent to you. Jones County voters can call the Auditor’s office and ask to be sent an absentee ballot request form. If you do receive an absentee ballot request form without specifically requesting one, it is most likely from a campaign or political organization. Voters can submit absentee ballot requests forms to the Auditor’s office anytime between now and October 21st at 5:00 p.m. You must submit the original form with an original signature. Request forms can be sent in the mail or dropped off at the office in person.

I do want to take a moment to clarify some common myths about Absentee Voting by mail. Only voters who submit an absentee ballot request form will receive an absentee ballot by mail. In Iowa, this has always been the procedure, and ballots have never been sent out without an Auditor first receiving that request form from the voter. Voters cannot submit blanket absentee ballot request forms to cover a period of time. A voter must fill out an absentee ballot request form for each election they wish to vote in. There are some exceptions to this for uniformed and overseas citizens as required by the federal government. If you have a friend or loved one that is a uniformed or overseas citizen, please have them reach out to the Auditor’s office for options on how to request a ballot.

                Absentee voting in-person at the Auditor’s office is also another widely used option. The voter must fill out the absentee ballot request form in the Auditor’s office, then the correct ballot style and affidavit envelope is given to the voter and the voter must vote that ballot in the Auditor’s office. The voter cannot remove the ballot from the Courthouse and mail it back later.

                When an absentee ballot is received by the Auditor’s office whether that ballot is received from a voter by mail or by a voter who voted in the Auditor’s office, it is checked to make sure the envelope is sealed, there is no evidence of tampering, and that the return affidavit envelope is signed. That envelope containing the ballot is then matched to the original absentee ballot request form and stored in a secure area until the bi-partisan Special Precinct Board convenes on Election Day to tally votes. If there is an issue with the affidavit envelope, the voter does get contacted by the Auditor’s office so that the non-compliance issue can be corrected.  All eligible absentee ballots are opened on Election Day and run through the ballot tabulator by the bi-partisan Special Precinct Board. There are special provisions per Iowa Code Section 53.23(3)(c) for the bi-partisan Special Precinct Board to start this process the day before the election, but it is only to be used if absolutely necessary.

                I want to assure you that every eligible ballot does count! Absentee ballots are tabulated the same way as ballots at the polling location on Election Day and all tallied votes from the Special Precinct Board and all polling locations go in to the final vote tally. Iowa has one of the most robust absentee voting systems in the nation and I am very confident in our election system and the processes used and prescribed by the Code of Iowa and Iowa Administrative Code to conduct the election.