Northwest Iowa — The general election is coming up on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. You can vote at the polls on election day, but you can also vote absentee, either through the mail or in person at your county auditor’s office.
Auditors tell us that this practice, also called “early voting” is becoming quite popular. If you vote early, you don’t have to worry about the weather or illness on Election Day.
Of course many people also vote at the polls. The O’Brien County Auditor’s Office is asking that eligible voters in O’Brien County who have not yet registered to vote in O’Brien County consider doing so before Election Day, November 8, 2016.
Iowa law does allow eligible persons the right to register to vote and cast a ballot on Election Day if they are able to provide proof of both their identity and residence at the polls.
O’Brien County Auditor Barb Rohwer says that Election Day Registration (EDR) is a useful tool for those voters who haven’t gotten registered in their new county, but she says that these people need to understand that election day registration will cause them to spend more time in the polling place filling out paperwork.
Because of this, she says her office is requesting eligible voters still make every attempt to register by mail or in person at the Auditor’s office prior to the pre-registration deadline at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 29, 2016. She says that will assure time for the Auditor’s office to complete the voter registration process and mail a Voter Registration Card to each registrant. That Voter Registration Card will indicate the location of the correct precinct.
If you are already registered to vote, you do not need to re-register to participate in this election.
Sample ballots for the General election are on the county website. In addition to the ballots, voter registration forms and absentee ballot request forms can be obtained on the O’Brien County website www.obriencounty.org.
The Auditor’s office is open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. as well as Saturday, October 29, 2016 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for voter registration. The office will also be open on November 5, 2016 from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. for absentee voting. Any questions concerning this process can be answered by calling 712-957-3225.
O’Brien County Sample Ballots:
Carroll, Floyd
Hartley, Lincoln, Omega
Waterman, Grant, Liberty
Summit, Center, Dale, Highland
Osceola County Sample Ballots:
Ashton
Harris
May City
Melvin
Ocheyedan
Osceola 1
Osceola 2
Osceola 3
Lyon County Sample Ballots:
Precinct 1 – George
Precinct 2 – Doon
Precinct 3 -Inwood
Precinct 4 – Larchwood
Precinct 5 – Lester
Precinct 6 – Little Rock
Precinct 7 -Rock Rapids
Precinct 8 – Rock Rapids
Sioux County Sample Ballots:
Alton/Nassau/East Orange
Floyd/Lynn
Grant/Sheridan
Hawarden/Buncombe/Logan/Washington/Eagle South
Lincoln
Orange City #1/Holland West
Orange City #2/Holland East/Nassau
Plato/Garfield/Settlers/Sioux Eagle North
Reading/Center South
Rock Valley East
Rock Valley West/Rock
Sioux Center Central
Sioux Center North/Capel/Welcome
Sioux Center South
Sherman
West Branch/Center North
