DES MOINES, Iowa —
Election night is Tuesday, Nov. 2 for city and school board elections in central Iowa, and there are some things you should know when sending in your absentee ballot.
A sweeping election reform bill signed into law earlier this year by Gov. Kim Reynolds made major changes to election rules.
As far as absentee ballots, the law requires:
- Absentee ballot requests for voting by mail must be received 15 days before the election.
- The only person who can return a voted absentee ballot other than the voter are: an immediate family member, someone living in the voter's household, a caretaker, or precinct officials who deliver the ballot to residents at health care facilities. In some cases, a "delivery agent" may be approved for voters with disabilities.
- Absentee ballots must be received by the county auditor by 8 p.m. on election day. (Previously, ballots were valid if postmarked before Election Day and received by the Monday following the election).
If you have an absentee ballot, you only have a few more days to get it back to your county auditor. It has to be in the offices by the end of Election Day.
Postmark dates no longer mean anything.
There is an easy way to make sure your county auditor received your absentee ballot.
- Go to the Iowa Secretary of State website
- Go to the "Elections" tab and click "Voters"
- Click "Track Your Absentee Ballot"
Fill in your information and the next page should tell you whether or not the auditor received your ballot.
You can also return absentee ballots to your county auditor's office in person before polls close.
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