Absentee And Early Voting Set To Break Records
Control ballots used for voting machine testing are stacked up and ready for use on Wednesday’s testing and certification process.
Oskaloosa, Iowa – The general election is only weeks away and the Mahaska County Auditors office was busy preparing voting machines for this years election. This year’s election will fill offices at a national level, such as the election of our next president, and on down the line to more local offices, such as county supervisor.
Deputy Auditor Sue Brown said the purpose is to not only make sure that equipment is working correctly, but that they are also tabulating correctly. They use a controlled batch of ballots for testing purposes. “We do a test plan. We mark the ballots knowing what the test is going to say, so many for each person. That’s the way we verify,” Brown said about the testing process.
When someone votes, the ballot would become invalid if a person were to sign it or have other errant marks on the ballot. The ballot will also not be counted if a person over votes in a race, which means that maybe they selected too many people in a particular race.
Votes will usually count as long as there is a mark in the oval, such as a check mark or X, but filling in the entire oval helps ensure your vote is counted.
Staff will work on certifying the voting machines for nearly two days, and the machines will have security seals in place to indicate if any tampering were to happen.
The option of voting straight party is an option for voters this November, but don’t forget to vote in those non-partisan races and judicial retention, as well, that will occupy the back page of the ballot.
Mahaska County Auditor Kay Swanson says that early voting has been happening at a fairly steady pace, with 3014 Mahaska County residents taking advantage of the opportunity to cast their ballot early, so far.
The early voting is the same as the absentee ballot, and Swanson says, “it would be the same thing as if we mailed it to them.”
On October 17th, a satellite voting office will be run on the campus of William Penn University in the Chief Mahaska Room. Voting will take place from 10 am to 2 pm.
Everyone is encouraged to make sure that they are registered to vote and that they come out and exercise their right to do so.
On September 27th, the first day of early voting, the College Democrats from William Penn made the trip to the Mahaska County Courthouse to cast their vote. Aiyanna Looney says that at least two more trips, being organized by the group, are in the works. Looney works as a volunteer for local Organizing For America, which is a community organizing group associated with the Democratic National Committee. Looney is also an advisor for the College Democrats.
“We’re just going to make sure students have an opportunity to vote,” Looney says of efforts focused nationally on early voting.
Iowa Republican Chairman A.J. Spiker said this in a press release on the first day of early voting, “Whether it is by mail or in person, it is critical that all Iowans get out and vote this year.”
Absentee ballots may also be obtained in the Auditor’s Office daily from 8:00 A.M. until 4:30 P.M., Monday thru Friday. The last day to vote absentee in the office is Monday, November 5th. The Auditor’s Office will be open Saturday, November 3rd, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for absentee voting.
Anyone having questions regarding absentee voting may contact the Auditor’s Office, 641-673-7148.
