Voting for this year’s Democratic and Republican primary elections begins in two weeks.
You must register as a Republican or Democrat to participate to vote and you have to submit a written application for a mailed ballot. Clayton County Auditor Jennifer Garms says voters should send in their absentee ballot request form as soon as possible.
“If someone is wanting to vote by mail, I would suggest getting an absentee ballot request form filled out and sent in as soon as possible,” Garms says. That application for a mail-in ballot has to be received by your county auditor on May 23rd by 5 p.m.
“There are only a few days that we can get those ballots sent out by mail. So if people get their request forms in timely we can get those out right away and give them the chance to vote those and turn around and send them back in,” Garms says.
If you have already requested a mail-in ballot — your auditor can’t send it out to you until May 18th. That is also the first day of in-person early voting. Absentee ballots must be received by the county auditor by 8 p.m. on primary election day June 7th.
(By Katarina Sostaric, Iowa Public Radio)