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As Iowa heads toward the November 3 general election, our priorities are clear: protect the integrity of our elections and ensure every eligible Iowan has the opportunity to vote.
Voters deserve confidence that election laws are being followed, ballots are counted accurately, and the process is fair and transparent. They also deserve clear information about when, where, and how they can cast their ballots.
Thanks to the work of election officials across the state, including Secretary of State Paul Pate, Iowa has established secure election procedures designed to produce accurate and timely results. We should continue strengthening that system through preparation, accountability, transparency, and public participation.
That includes recruiting and training precinct election officials, poll watchers, and special monitors. The Republican Party of Iowa is working to ensure Republicans are represented throughout the process and that observers understand how to identify, document, and report potential irregularities through the proper channels.
We have also established an election hotline and partnered with the Republican National Lawyers Association to provide legal support and respond to legitimate concerns. Election safeguards work best when trained people are watching the process, understand the law, and know what to do when questions arise.
Election integrity must go hand in hand with informed voter participation. Iowans work hard, raise families, and balance countless responsibilities. They should know the options available to them and the deadlines they need to meet.
In Iowa, voters can cast an absentee ballot by mail, vote early in person at their county auditor's office, or vote at their polling place on Election Day. To make a plan to vote, visit vote.iowagop.org.
Absentee ballot request forms must be received by your county auditor by 5 p.m. on Monday, October 19. Completed absentee ballots must be received by the county auditor's office by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3. Voters returning ballots by mail should do so as early as possible. Those concerned that their ballots may not arrive in time can deliver them to their county auditor's office.
A completed absentee ballot cannot be turned in at an Election Day polling place. However, voters may surrender their absentee ballot at their polling place and receive a new ballot to vote.
Early in-person voting begins Wednesday, October 14, at county auditors' offices. The final day to vote early in person is Monday, November 2, although hours may vary by county. Contact information for every county auditor is available at sos.iowa.gov/auditors.
On Election Day, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Anyone who suspects election fraud or other irregularities can submit a report at protectthevote.com/report-fraud/iowa.
Strong elections require both public confidence and public participation. Iowa must continue enforcing its election laws, training election workers and observers, providing legal resources to address concerns, and giving voters accurate information.
The right to vote in a free and secure election is one of our most important rights as Americans. Protecting that right requires all of us to participate.
My message to Iowa Republicans is simple: Make a plan and make your voice heard. Whether you vote absentee, early in person, or at the polls on November 3, vote Republican up and down the ballot.
Jeff Kaufmann is the chair of the Republican Party of Iowa.