Page County is encouraging residents to take advantage of absentee voting for the primary election. | Pixabay
Page County is encouraging residents to take advantage of absentee voting for the primary election. | Pixabay
Officials in Page County are encouraging voters to use an absentee ballot during the upcoming June primary instead of voting in-person.
The Auditor's Office is mailing out absentee ballot forms to every registered voter in Page County, according to KMA News. Iowa's Secretary of State's Office is also mailing out forms to registered voters in the state. Absentee voting will help keep voters safe and healthy during the elections, Page County Auditor Melissa Wellhausen told KMA News.
"After everything that's gone on with the [COVID-19]," she told KMA News. "We decided to be as proactive as possible. So, with that, we decided to mail out absentee (ballot) request forms out to every registered voter here in Page County, in the effort and hope to encourage people to still vote, but do it safely from their home."
Absentee ballots will be sent out starting on April 23, Wellhausen told KMA News. The absentee ballot voting period has also been extended by 40 days.
"That is nice in that respect, because now we'll actually be able to send those out earlier than anticipated, which is good, because it gives people more time to be able to get their ballot, to have time to vote, and get it sent back in," she told KMA News.
In-person voting polls will be open on June 2, but Wellhausen told KMA News that there will be safety precautions.
"We've reached out to our poll workers," Wellhausen told KMA News. "We've had some that have had concerns with working, and things like that. So, we'll have a few precautionary measures in place, definitely some safety gear for them. As well, we're getting some protective screening for them, as well, so that way, they'll be as safe as possible."
She also said the county is trying to supply a pen to each in-person voter, which they can keep after using it, KMA News reports. The number of precincts open for voting will also be limited.
"We'll have less precinct officials working," she told KMA News. "Then, too, is the fact that we'll try to keep as many people safe at home as possible, looking at those precinct election officials. So, we'll have one polling location in Shenandoah, one polling location in Clarinda, one in Essex, and, again, the absentees."
Absentee ballot requests must be sent to the auditor's office by May 22 and the actual ballots will be due by 9 p.m. on June 2.
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