Early voting tops nearly 700 so far

BY BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

A path is being created to the Henry County Auditor?s Office.

And that path will widen between now and Monday, Nov. 7, the day before the general election.

Early voting began in Iowa Thursday and response has been overwhelming in Henry County, according to Shelly Barber, Henry County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections.

Barber said 599 absentee ballots have been sent out thus far and another 110 people have voted in her office as of 8:30 a.m. this morning.

She had expected the pre-election crunch. ?Four years ago, I had people lined up outside my door waiting to vote during the first day,? she recalled.

Approximately 3,000 county residents voted absentee during the last presidential election (2012) and Barber is expecting similar, if not greater, numbers this year, especially prior to election day.

However, she said that the number of absentee ballot requests and foot traffic yesterday surprised her. ?We had a lot of calls on the first day to vote, but I figured a lot of those (calls) were from snowbirds. I thought since this presidential election has some controversy, more people would be voting absentee later. But now I expect a steady pace of voters until election day.

?When I first started working in the auditor?s office (she has worked in the office for 33 years), we only had four or five absentee ballots,? she noted. ?But back then, it was more difficult to vote absentee. You had to have a valid, notarized reason to do it. Now people like to vote absentee, especially in presidential elections, because they don?t want to stand in line. I think the lines for the school election (bond vote) a year ago made people rethink about voting absentee.?

Two weeks prior to the election, ballots will be taken to the county nursing homes with two election workers delivering the ballot and answering any questions.

County residents can vote absentee in the auditor?s office from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The auditor?s office will have special voting hours on two Saturdays ? Oct. 29 and Nov. 5 ? from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Barber said Oct. 29 is the last day to register to vote without having to show proof of residency. People registering after Oct. 29 have to bring a photo ID. If the photo ID does not include the address of the person, other verification (such as a bill) must accompany the photo ID.

In addition, the photo ID and other verification will be needed if the person chooses to vote on election day. ?So if people register after Oct. 29, it probably is just best to vote absentee in my office after registering,? she said.

If a Henry County resident has moved to another location since registering, registration can be changed without identification verification, Barber added.

The final day for absentee voting in the auditor?s office is Monday, Nov. 7.

Barber also said the absentee voting polling site at Iowa Wesleyan University will be Wednesday, Oct. 19, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. In addition to students, residents of Mt. Pleasant?s Ward II can also vote at the site since IWU is located in that city ward.