Preparing for the primary
Pate holds ‘Voter Ready’ forum at courthouse
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"We don't want people to be confused; we want them to be prepared when they come to vote."
With the June 5 primary election three weeks away, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate visited the Marshall County Courthouse Monday to share information about preparing government officials and voters for Election Day.
He presented his office's "Voter Ready" initiative, which focuses on getting eligible voters registered, ensuring they understand the state's new voter identification law and more.
"I'm asking you to help us with the Voter Ready process," Pate said to a small group of local elections and government officials at Monday's forum. "To make this successful, it can't just be a bunch of ads my office runs saying 'Got a new policy!' and it can't just be the fact that it's a new law; it truly is about outreach, it's about empowering the people so they understand."
The new voting law is going through a "soft" rollout in 2018, Pate said. Poll workers in this year's elections will ask those coming in to vote for an acceptable form of ID; examples include an Iowa driver's license, an Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) non-operator's license, a U.S. passport, a veteran's ID, a military ID or an Iowa voter ID card.
About 123,000 state-issued voter ID cards were sent out by the secretary of state's office in December of 2017; those in need of such an ID can request one through their county auditor's office, Pate said.
This year, registered voters who do not have an acceptable form of identification at the polls will be able to sign an oath verifying their identity, according to the secretary of state website. Even when the new law is fully implemented, Pate said no eligible voters will be turned away when they go to the polls to vote.
"Let's fast-forward to 2019; you come in to vote, and let's say you forgot your ID," Pate said. "You still will be allowed to vote, it will be provisional, and then you'll have to substantiate your ID afterward; again, no matter what scenario, no one will get turned away on Election Day, but it does require one more step in our process."
Absentee voting was also discussed at Monday's forum.
"Right now, you just sign it (an official Iowa absentee ballot request form), send your request form, and we mail it out," Pate said, adding that, this year, absentee requesters will need to include their driver's license number or non-operator's license number on the form; a secretary of state's office-issued 4-digit personal identification number can be used as an alternative.
"That's the only real change for absentees," Pate said.
He also shared the Voter Ready toolkit, which comes with information for local elections officials about the new law, as well as sample social media posts and newsletters to release to the public. Frequently asked questions and a sample of acceptable IDs are also part of the kit.
Save the dates
There are many dates and deadlines for voters to keep in mind in the next three weeks. They include:
-Friday, May 25 is the last day to request an absentee ballot by mail, and is also the voter pre-registration deadline; the auditor-recorder's office will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. that day. In-person absentee voting will continue during the regular courthouse business hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.
-Saturday, June 2 is an extra day the Marshall County Auditor and Recorder's Office will be open for in-person absentee voting, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
-Monday, June 4 is the last day to vote absentee in-person at the auditor-recorder's office, which will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mail-in absentee ballots must be postmarked by this date and received by the auditor-recorder's office by noon on Monday, June 11 to be valid for the June 5 primary election.
-Tuesday, June 5 is the date of the primary election, and polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Additionally, Marshall County Auditor and Recorder Nan Benson said her office is in need of paid poll workers for the June 5 primary. She is encouraging those interested in being poll workers to come to her office at the Marshall County Courthouse, 1 E. Main St., or call (641) 754-6302 for more information.
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Contact Adam Sodders at
(641) 753-6611 or asodders@timesrepublican.com