Absentee Voting Instructions
Following are instructions
for marking your Absentee Ballot Card. Absentee Ballots can be requested from
the Auditor's Office 45 days prior to an election. If you have any problems or
questions please call us at (515) 573-7175. If you need to request an Absentee
Ballot, visit the Request Absentee Voting Form page.
Marking Your Ballot
- Vote in Secrecy. Iowa law requires that
absentee voters mark their ballots so that no other person will know how
that ballot is marked
- Study the Ballot Carefully! Determine the candidates and
public measure (if any) for which you wish to vote, locate the voting
position opposite the names or questions. Once you have marked your
ballot, the mark cannot be erased without spoiling the ballot.
- Use a #2 Pencil. Using only a #2 pencil,
connect the head and tail of the arrow that points to the candidate of
your chose. Marks made by other pens or pencils may not be readable by the
machine that will tabulate your votes.
- Overvoting. If you mark voting positions next to the names
of more candidates than can be elected to any single office, your vote for
that office will not be counted.
- Write-in Votes. If you wish to vote for any
person whose name is not printed on the ballot, write the name of that
person in the appropriate blank space and connect the head and tail of the
arrow that points to the name you have written. If you do not connect the
arrow opposite the name you have written on the ballot, your write-in vote
cannot be counted. Marking the voting position without writing a name will
not spoil the rest of your ballot.
- No Extra Marks. Please do not put any marks on
the ballot other than your voting mark or writing a person's name as
described above.
Returning Your Ballot
- Sign the Affidavit. After marking your ballot,
sign the voter's oath on the affidavit envelope. The white label gives
your precinct, ballot number, etc. All you need to do is add your
signature, address and date. If the ballot was folded, fold it exactly
as it was folded before. Place the ballot in the affidavit envelope and
seal it. Put the affidavit envelope in the return carrier and seal it.
- Postmark Before Election Day. The return carrier envelope
must be postmarked no later than the day before the election. Ballots must
be received by the county commissioner by 9 a.m. the Monday following the
election in order to be counted.
- Return Postage. Return postage for your ballot
may exceed $.60 depending on the size of the ballot. The absentee ballot must be returned to the commissioner
regardless of whether you voted or not.
Voting with Assistance
- Voters who are blind, cannot read, or because of any
other physical ability are unable to mark their own ballots may have the
assistance of any other person the voter chooses.
- Exception: Federal law prohibits assistance by the voter's
employer, employer’s agent, or an officer or agent of the voter's union.