East Central Iowa News

Due to the panic and concern surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, Iowa voters now have 40 days to mail in their vote as opposed to the prior 29 days. 

This was recently confirmed by Jasper County Auditor Dennis Parrott, according to Newton Daily News.

Paul Pate, the Iowa Secretary of State, made an announcement of the extension to voters via a media release on March 31. In the release, he revealed the plans of his office to mail an absentee ballot request form to every active registered voter within the state before the primary election.

The purpose behind Pate’s extension is to provide Iowan voters with an incentive to vote for the June 2 primary, while at the same time exercising social distancing practices to stem the spread of COVID-19.

Parrott said if an individual wishes to cast their absentee vote in person, they can do so at the Jasper County Auditor’s Office. The process for this will commence on May 4. Currently, the Jasper County Courthouse is closed to the public.

Social distancing measures will be in place until April 30. In the meantime, the county auditor’s office will keep up with the situation as it unfolds and are creating a plan in the event that it is extended beyond the current timeframe.

“We will keep voters informed as these events unfold,” Parrott said. “We want to ensure our voters that every effort to protect the integrity of the voting process is fully being protected and carried out.”

Voting locations have also been cut down from 20 to 6 in an effort to keep the public and election poll workers safe.

“The health and safety of our election day poll workers are our concern,” Parrott said. “Having fewer (people) working on election day means more of them are home practicing social distancing and staying safe.”

If any individual has any questions regarding the voting procedures and what they can expect, they can call the Jasper County Auditor’s Office at 641-792-7016 with any questions.