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Yes, absentee ballots will still count if received after Election Day

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate made it very clear via Twitter that all eligible ballots will continue to be counted if received after Nov. 3.

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IOWA, USA — With so much uncertainty surrounding the 2020 election, it seems even county auditors aren't sure what's going on.

Friday, Linn County Auditor Joel Miller tweeted asking if Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate planned to stop counting absentee ballots after 10:00 p.m. on election night.

Does Iowa SoS plan to suspend counting of absentee ballots at 10pm on Election Night? https://t.co/kB3XLDcr9v
— Joel D Miller (@lcauditor) October 31, 2020

Sec. Pate tweeted back at Miller, making his verdict on that question very clear.

That's an idiotic notion. Every eligible ballot will be counted. U have 46 hours for a process that should take U less than 5 & had an extra 24 hours on Saturday. Stop spreading misinformation. Stop sabotaging elections. Be prepared like the other 98 county auditors. DO YOUR JOB! https://t.co/pzDDcZiI1s
— Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate (@IowaSOS) November 1, 2020

So we can verify, yes, as long as they're postmarked by Monday, absentee ballots will still count if received after Election Day.

For more answers to your voting questions, visit our Voter Guide.