Early voting continues at brisk pace

Here’s the latest information on early voting from the Secretary of State’s office:

SECRETARY OF STATE MAURO: NUMBER OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS CAST SURPASSES 2002 AND 2006 TOTALS

DES MOINES – With six days remaining before Election Day, Secretary of State Michael A. Mauro today announced that more Iowans have voted early in this year’s election than the previous two midterm elections.

As of this morning, 355,192 Iowans have requested an absentee ballot and of those ballots, 254,836 have been received back by auditors’ offices. 

In the 2006 General Election, 242,385 Iowans voted absentee. Four years prior in the 2002 General Election, 242,357 voted absentee.

“Despite what has been predicted for months and months, Iowans are participating at record levels and are as engaged as ever before,” said Secretary Mauro. “As of this morning, the early voting totals for the 2010 General Election have surpassed both the 2002 and 2006 midterm elections. I believe this enthusiasm will be carried all the way through Election Day next week.”  

The total absentee ballots requested and received by county auditors are as follows:

Party               Ballots Requested     Ballots Received
Democrat      158,286                         114,193
Republican   129,316                            97,398
No Party          67,288                           43,037
Other                       302                                 208
Total               355,192                        254,836

Secretary Mauro reminded Iowans there is still plenty of time to cast a ballot early for the General Election.

Voting by Mail:
All eligible Iowa voters can vote by mail by downloading, completing, and returning an absentee ballot request form. To do so, visit www.IowaVotes.gov and click on the “Absentee Voting” link or visit the direct link at http://www.sos.state.ia.us/pdfs/absenteeballotapp.pdf.

The completed request form should be sent to the voter’s local county auditor. To find contact information for all of Iowa’s 99 county auditors, visit www.IowaVotes.gov and click on the “Find Your County Auditor” link. The deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail is 5:00 pm this Friday, October 29.   

Completed ballots returned by mail must be postmarked by Monday, November 1 and received no later than Monday, November 8. Ballots may also be hand delivered to the county auditor’s office until polls close on Election Day. 

Voting at County Auditor’s Office:
Iowans can vote early in person at their local county auditor’s office during normal business hours until the day before the election, Monday, November 1. Auditors’ offices will also be open until 5:00 p.m. this Saturday, October 30 for in-person early voting. To find contact information for all of Iowa’s 99 county auditors, visit www.IowaVotes.gov and click on the “Find Your County Auditor” link. 

Voting at a Satellite Station:
Iowans can also vote at satellite voting stations set up by their county auditor’s office. County auditors will post public notice of these locations at least seven days before the station is open for early voting. Voters should contact their auditor’s office regarding satellite polling locations.

More information on the upcoming November 2 General Election can be found by visiting the Secretary of State’s website at www.IowaVotes.gov, by calling the Iowa Secretary of State’s office at 515-281-0145 (toll-free at 1-888-SOS-VOTE), or by contacting your local county auditor’s office.