Grundy County has seen an increase in absentee ballot requests for this election cycle. At the time of this publishing, 1,900 absentee ballot requests have been entered. According to Grundy County Auditor Rhonda Deters, this is over 20-percent of the registered voters in the county, and a significant uptick from four years ago, especially considering the window for requests is much more narrow than before.
In 2016, Grundy County had 2,111 people vote absentee, while the time frame for requests was 40 days. This year, the window for requests is only 29 days, and the volume of inquiries for absentee ballots has been consistently ahead of the usual schedule.
“We have never seen this amount [of requests] at this point in an election cycle,” Deters said.
An absentee ballot is a vote cast by an individual of voting age, who is unable or unwilling to attend the traditional polling method of utilizing a polling station. Absentee ballots require a person to fill out a request, that will then be processed by the county whereby the actual ballot will be sent back. Voters may utilize this feature to vote early, or get a mailed ballot to return to their county office, or they may elect to take it to a secure box, or drop it off at the polling office themselves.
Concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic make this increase in requests understandable, however, this year is also notable in particular because of recent reports that President Trump has called the validity and security of this system of vote delivery into question. However, Deters explained that the process for requesting ballots in Grundy County is very secure, and detailed some of the precautions they take.
“It won’t matter how many request forms a voter sends, they will only get one ballot,” Deters said. “[Requests] are checked into the state-wide system as we receive them. Voters can track their ballot if they are inclined to do so online at the Iowa Secretary of State website. They can tell when they’ve been received, when they were mailed. I am confident that in Grundy County, and honestly, in Iowa, that our processes for absentee ballots are secure.”
Deters also explained that all return envelopes have a prepaid stamp, as well as an “intelligent barcode,” to track when that envelope hits the postal system.
All over the state of Iowa, as well as the United States as a whole, officials are reporting an increase in absentee requests, indicating a want or desire for voters to cast their ballots in a safe way.
“During the primary election cycle we encouraged voters to vote absentee at home by mail for their safety, as well as the safety of others,” Deters said. “That encouragement has continued throughout. We haven’t changed out recommendation to voters, and we are encouraging all voters to vote at home by mail for the safety of all. We will of course, have polling locations open for those that choose not to vote absentee. We want to ensure that every voter has the opportunity to vote however they choose.”
Deters said that they are unable to send any ballots to those who have requested them until October 5, but also mentioned that those who would be interested in obtaining one do so before October 24. Not only do earlier requests assist with the efficiency of processing them, but at 5 PM on October 24 is the deadline for ballot requests, and afterward, any voters who plan to participate in elections will be required to do so at the physical polling location.
Deters said that she expects the number to continue to climb beyond 1,900, especially with October 24 just a few weeks away. Voters are receiving absentee ballot request forms from a variety of sources, including the Iowa Secretary of State office. The Secretary of State office has mailed a request form to every active registered voter in the State of Iowa. Per the Grundy County Auditor’s office, any of these requests are valid provided it is returned to the Grundy County Auditor’s Office, at 706 G Avenue, Grundy Center, IA 50638. While an additional request may accidentally be submitted to the office, officials specify that only one will be processed.
The Grundy County Auditor’s Office requests that if any individuals have questions about acquiring and submitting, or concerns surrounding processes with the absentee ballot requests, that they are encouraged to reach out to the office at 319-824-3122.
