Northwest Iowa — Today is municipal election day in Iowa.
There are municipal elections in every town, but in some places, there’s only one candidate per available seat, so no surprises are expected. Of course, a write-in candidate in the right situation could still cause an upset.
The races we will be watching with more interest are the unknowns — where either there are more positions available than candidates, or where there are more candidates than positions.
There are more open positions than candidates in the races for Sheldon City Council, Paullina City Council and Mayor, Primghar City Council, Ashton City Council and Mayor, Sibley City Council, and for the Matlock Mayor race. So there will almost certainly be write-ins in these towns.
There are more candidates than positions — in other words contested races — for Calumet City Council, Sutherland City Council and Mayor; Harris City Council, Boyden Mayor; Hawarden City Council, Hospers mayor and council, Ireton mayor and council, Doon City Council, Little Rock City Council, and Rock Rapids mayor and council.
Along with municipal candidates, the city of Sibley will have a ballot question. Voters will be asked whether the city should issue general obligation loan notes in the amount of 1.6 million dollars for improving the city pool.
Election officials say that any mailed-in absentee ballots must have been postmarked by Monday, November 6th.
If you are not registered to vote, you can register at the poll, but they say people should be advised that the process does take some time. If you are registering to vote at the poll, you will need a current ID. If your current address is different than what it says on your ID, you also need proof of residency, such as a utility bill with your current address. Contact your auditor’s office for more information.
In the four northwest Iowa counties, there are three communities where the polling place has recently changed. Doon voters will now vote in the Doon City Hall instead of at the Community Center. Archer voters will vote at the Archer United Methodist Church, and Calumet voters will vote across the street from their old location, at the new city hall and fire station.
Polls in most precincts in the four northwest Iowa counties will be open from noon until 8:00 p.m., including all the polls in O’Brien, Osceola, and Lyon Counties. In Sioux County all the polls are open from noon to 8:00 p.m., with the exception of Boyden, Hawarden, Hospers, Ireton, and Maurice, where they open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 8:00 p.m., according to the auditor’s office.
Click here for more information.
Click here to find your polling place. Note that the changes we were given by the auditors’ offices may not yet be reflected on the site. Call your auditor’s office if you have any questions.
