Iowa Secretary of State, Paul Pate, made a special stop in Carroll Thursday to provide some insight, assistance and little known facts about the upcoming mid-term election on Tuesday, Nov. 6. There were four main points he wanted to cover in the discussion, the first and second revolve around recent press about cybersecurity. Pate says the very structure of voting in Iowa helps alleviate any concerns hacking will impact voter outcomes.
He used the example a public website at an election office. There is no voting on the public website. Short of someone walking into a polling location and picking up a stack of ballots and replacing them with false ones, there is virtually no way to submit fraudulent voting forms. There are checks and balance along the way, including a member of each party present at polling locations. In reality, the ballots are like money and each and every one must be accounted for by the county auditor. Our elections are so successful because we build a good foundation and a great share of the work is done before Election Day. Carroll County Auditor, Kourtney Irlbeck, and her staff are currently working through the absentee voting process. They have issued nearly 2,800 absentee ballots as of Thursday, a pace which Irlbeck says is in line with the presidential election in 2016. The third and fourth points Pate made are about the resources available to voters before and after voting.
Iowa offers the longest polling hours in the nation, second only to New York, and voter amenities that are unrivaled across the nation. Much like a restaurant menu, Pate says, we can add to what we offer, but seldom do we take anything off. There will be a soft rollout of the new voter ID laws at polling locations this year. This is not required for absentee voting, but those casting ballots in person will need to have a driver’s license, military or tribal identification, passport or state issued ID. There may be other forms added in future years.
If they do not have and ID with them this year, they can sign an oath of identity or have an attester who can vouch for them. There are two ways to register now, by mail or online. Those who wait until Nov. 6 to register will need proof of identity and proof of residency. This can be a bill in your name at that address or a bank statement, and digital proof will be accepted. Next year, 17 year olds who will be 18 by November will be able to vote in the primaries. The last day to request an absentee ballot is tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 27. For more details about the election process, assistance, polling locations and more, simply follow the links included below.
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More information on security can be found in the video below:
Carroll County Auditor’s Office
http://www.co.carroll.ia.us/Auditor/auditor.htm
Iowa Secretary of State:
