County prepares to finally vote
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Election Day 2024 is only five days away, and final preparations are in place for county voters.
Early in-person voting
A short time remains to cast an early in-person vote at the courthouse.
To facilitate a last push for early voting, the Auditor’s Office be open until 5 p.m. Friday, November 1 and open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, November 2.
The Auditor’s Office will be open regular hours (8 a.m. – 4 p.m.) Monday, November 4, the last day to cast an early in-person ballot.
Election Day
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on November 5 in seven precincts across Ringgold County (see map):
Athens precinct – Kellerton City Hall;
Clinton precinct – Redding Frontier Hall;
Mt. Ayr 1 precinct – American Legion Building;
Mt. Ayr 2 precinct – First Christian Church;
Tingley precinct – Ellston Community Building (due to destruction of Tingley Community Building);
Union precinct – Ellston Community Building;
Washington precinct – Diagonal Community Building.
If voters are unsure of their polling place, they may contact the Auditor’s Office or look up their precinct at sos.iowa.gov.
Voters needing assistance with their casting their ballots may also contact the Auditor’s Office for more information.
Voter identification
Iowa voters are required to provide proof of both identity and residency. A driver’s license can still be used as identity proof, even if it has a former address on it.
Those without an Iowa driver’s license can provide another form of ID if it contains a photo, is current, valid, and has not expired, or lists “None” as the expiration date. Temporary paper licenses or IDs issued by the Iowa Department of Transportation are acceptable.
A voter without one of the listed forms of ID may have the voter’s identity attested to by another registered voter in the precinct or may prove identity and residence using Election Day Registration documents. Voters without the necessary ID or an attester will be offered a provisional ballot and can provide ID up until the time of the county canvass of votes (Monday after election day).
The following can be used as proof of residency:
*Current residential lease
*Property tax statement
*Utility bill or cell phone bill
*Bank statement
*Paycheck
*Government checks or Government Documents (Vehicle registration, tax assessment, etc.)
Absentee voting by mail
To be counted, absentee ballots returned by mail to the Auditor’s Office must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day with two exceptions.
First, ballots from individuals participating in the Safe at Home program will be eligible for counting if postmarked or barcoded before election day and received in the Secretary of State’s Office in time to be transmitted to the appropriate county auditor not later than noon on the Monday following the election.
The Safe at Home program protects survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, stalking, and assault. The program provides for a substitute address, mail forwarding service. and confidential voter registration and absentee voting.
Second, ballots from uniformed and overseas citizens will be eligible for counting if postmarked or barcoded before election day and received no later than noon on the Monday following the election.
County residents with questions pertaining to voting or the election in general are urged to contact Ringgold County Commissioner of Elections Amanda Waske at 641-464-3239 or awaske@ringgoldcounty.us.
