Election finish line in sight

Barb Rohwer has never seen anything like this before.

The office of O'Brien County's longtime auditor has been exceptionally busy this month handling absentee ballot requests and in-person voters. The anomaly was expected, as the COVID-19 pandemic had election officials pushing voters to cast ballots from afar for the Nov. 3 general election.

"We've had quite a few folks coming in and voting absentee," Rohwer said. "We've probably been averaging 15 a day, when in a normal year we'd see two or three every day up until the final week."

As of Monday, the auditor's office had received 2,890 absentee ballot requests. Rohwer reported that 1,962 had been returned so far, equaling 62 percent.

"That's pretty good," she said.

Rohwer originally anticipated around 5,000 absentee ballot requests would be received by her office for the election.

"It doesn't look like that's going to happen unless things really pick up over the next week, but we're keeping busy with requests," she said.

• Deadlines for absentee requests and ballots

Citizens wishing to vote absentee this year must have their request form at the auditor's office by 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24. The auditor's office will be open special hours that day to accommodate the deadline.

You can return your completed absentee ballot by mail. Ballots received in the county auditor's office by the time polls close on Election Day are eligible for counting. Absentee ballots received after polls close on Nov. 3 must be postmarked by Nov. 2 or earlier and received in the county auditor's office no later than noon on Monday, Nov. 9.

If you are voting in person Nov. 3, a valid form of identification will be required. Pre-registered voters should bring an Iowa driver's license or non-operator ID, US passport, tribal ID card/document, U.S. military or veteran ID, or an Iowa voter ID card. Rohwer noted expired driver's licenses count if they ran out in 2020.

If you are registering to vote after the pre-registration deadline or at the polls Nov. 3, you must provide a current and valid photo ID. Approved forms of identification for Election Day registrants include the items listed above, excluding the Iowa Voter ID Card. Additional acceptable forms of identification are an out-of-state driver's license or non-operator ID, employer-issued ID, or student ID issued by an Iowa high school or college.

If your address has changed or you need to register after the pre-registration deadline at the polls on Election Day, you will also be required to provide proof of residence. If your current address is on your current and valid ID, then it may also serve as proof of residence. These documents must include the voter's name and address and be current within 45 days of presentation. With the exception of an ID, they may be in electronic format on a cell phone or tablet. Additional approved proof of residence documents are a residential lease, utility bill (including a cell phone bill), bank statement, paycheck, government check or other government document, or a property tax statement.

Rohwer will have an absentee ballot precinct set up at the courthouse in Primghar on Election Day to count votes. Workers will begin opening envelopes to start the tally on Nov. 3 at around 10:30 a.m.

"They'll have letter openers and off they'll go," said Rohwer.