Faster Than A Speeding Ballot

This year’s mock election at the Johnson County Fair will have both secret ballots and secret identities.  Voters will choose the greatest superhero.

Because it’s a caucus year, we’re going to have a presidential contest too.  Democratic and Republican presidential candidates will be on separate ballots, but the same superheroes will be listed on both because superheroes are nonpartisan.

Mock election voting hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, July 27 through Thursday, July 30.

The Auditor’s Office has hosted mock elections at the county fair since 1999.  Everyone attending the fair, including kids, will be able to see and use real voting booths and machines.  Preliminary results will be posted during the fair.

Candidates on the ballot will be:

Superheroes
Batgirl
Batman
Captain America
Flash
Iron Man
Spiderman
Supergirl
Superman
Wonder Woman

Democratic Presidential Candidates
Lincoln Chafee
Hillary Clinton
Martin O'Malley
Bernie Sanders
Jim Webb
Uncommitted Democrat

Republican Presidential Candidates
Jeb Bush
Ben Carson
Chris Christie
Ted Cruz
Carly Fiorina
Lindsey Graham
Mike Huckabee
Bobby Jindal
John Kasich
George Pataki
Rand Paul
Rick Perry
Marco Rubio
Rick Santorum
Donald Trump
Scott Walker
Uncommitted Republican

July 17 is Community ID Day

Applications for Johnson County Community IDs will be accepted beginning Friday, July 17 at 1 p.m. at the Johnson County Administration Building, 913 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City.

Johnson County will be the first community in the Midwest, and the first outside a major metropolitan area, to offer community issued identification. The program has been a joint effort of local governments, business, and labor.

The Community ID program is designed to help people who may have difficulty getting a state-issued ID, such as seniors who no longer drive, the homeless, people in poverty or transition, and new immigrants. A Community ID can help these people interact with law enforcement, local government, pharmacies and banks.

All Johnson County residents, even people with a driver’s license or non-driver ID, are encouraged to get a Community ID.  Many area businesses will offer discounts to people who present a Community ID.

Community IDs will cost $8 for adults and $4 for children. Applicants will be required to present secondary forms of identification to get a Community ID. The following documents are enough by themselves:

• ·         US or foreign passport
• ·         Driver’s license or non-driver ID card from any US state
• ·         US Permanent Resident Card (“Green Card”)
• ·         Birth certificate or consular ID (“CID”)

People who have no items from the above list may apply for Community IDs by presenting two forms of personal identification and one document proving Johnson County residency. A full list of accepted documents will be on the County web site, http://www.johnson-county.com. All documents will be verified before the Community ID is issued, and Community ID cards will be mailed.