Early/absentee voting
To the editor:
Voting is essential. Voting is the heartbeat of a representative democracy. Voting is a fundamental duty of a citizen in a democracy.
In order to vote in Iowa, you must be registered to vote in the county where you live. So, registering to vote is your first step. You can do that by going to the Greene County auditor’s website or by calling her office for information at 515-386-5680. The Iowa Secretary of State’s website is also an option.
With the COVID-19 virus situation you may prefer not to vote at a polling location on Election Day, November 3. You have other choices for voting.
You can vote absentee. If you want to vote absentee, now is the time to start the process, which takes several steps:
1.Make sure you’re registered to vote in Greene County.
2.Request an absentee ballot by getting an absentee ballot request form, filling it out, and returning it to the auditor’s office (by mail or in person) by Oct. 23. The first date to obtain an absentee ballot request form was July 6, 2020. You can download the ballot request form online from the county auditor’s website or by going to the county auditor’s office in person. A third option is to go to the Iowa Secretary of State’s website and download the form from there. Call the auditor’s office if you need more information.
3. Once you receive your absentee ballot, complete the ballot and then return your ballot to the auditor’s office as soon as possible, by mail or in person.
The main reason for starting this process for getting an absentee ballot now is to avoid any delays, correct any mistakes, or to straighten out anything that might go wrong.
You can also go to the county auditor’s office in person to vote early. The first day to do this is October 5 and the last day for early voting is November 2.
I urge everyone to support democracy and exercise your right to vote. I hope this process goes smoothly for everyone and voting is as easy as possible for the November 3 election.
David F. John, Jefferson
