They Say The Voting Site Is Right On Broadway

OK, so we changed the words a little. But only for accuracy. The voting site WILL be right on Broadway, 2105 Broadway to be exact, at the Broadway Neighborhood Center this Wednesday from 1 to 5 p.m.

We'll also be at City High Wednesday. We won't be voting but we will be registering our youngest voters at 11:45. Anyone in Iowa can register as soon as they're 17 1/2. You have to be 18 to actually vote, but even if you're not old enough for the June 3 primary you can still get registered for the November general election.

Know Your Votemobile

Quick quiz: Which set of wheels is the Votemobile?

A.



WRONG. While the Batmobile is extremely cool, it's only a two seater and a Votemobile requires three workers.

B.



WRONG. Though we're hoping to work black smoke and white smoke into our election results.

C.



RIGHT! Like Bruce Wayne and Jorge Bergoglio, it also has another name: the Rural Health and Safety Clinic of Greater Johnson County. The Rural Health and Safety folks are sharing it with us and we're hoping we'll have more Votemobile sites this fall.

The Votemobile will be at 1st Avenue Hy-Vee this Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Batmobile and Popemobile, as far as we know, will not.

We're also voting at a pizza place this weekend. The City High & West High Jazz Ensembles will be playing Saturday Night on the Ped Mall. The closest spot to the music we could find was Wedge Pizza, so you can vote and dine (or just vote) from 5 to 8 p.m.

Changes for Care Facility Ballots

In a step toward increasing the options for voters, Johnson County Auditor Travis Weipert is revising office policy on mailed absentee ballots for voters in care facilities.

Under prior interpretations of state law, voters in care facilities, no matter their level of ability or their personal wishes, were not mailed absentee ballots on request. Voters requesting mailed ballots were instead required to vote on one specified day at the facility, with a bipartisan team of poll workers, under a procedure designed for nursing home residents.

After review of state law, Weipert has determined that residents of independent living and assisted care apartments within facilities that also include a nursing home unit may vote by mail. This has been a frequent request from voters. Only residents of the nursing home unit will vote with the bipartisan team.

All voters, including those in any level of care facility, may still vote early in person at the auditor’s office or a satellite site, or at the polls on election day. Curbside voting is available both early and on Election Day for voters unable to leave their cars.

Auditor's Office Registers High School Students

County Auditor Travis Weipert and staff members visited Clear Creek Amana High School Monday to register students to vote and demonstrate voting equipment. Coverage from KGAN:




And from KCRG:



Many high school students will be able to vote in this fall's election. You must be 18 to vote, but you can register as soon as you're 17 1/2.

New Law Changes Primary Pre-Registration Deadline

A new state law has changed the pre-registration deadline and voting dates for the June 3 primary election.



House File 2366, passed with bipartisan support and signed Friday by Governor Branstad, moves the registration deadline up one day to Friday, May 23 at 5 p.m. The Friday 11 days before Election Day is now the pre-registration deadline for all elections in Iowa except general elections in November of even years. That deadline remains the Saturday 10 days before the election.

Election Day Registration is available in all elections with ID and proof of address after the pre-registration deadline.

The changed deadline also means our office will not be open on Saturday, May 24, as previously planned. Voting will still be available May 24th at a satellite site at the Iowa City Farmer’s Market downtown from 7:30 a.m. to noon.

Auditors across the state had requested the pre-registration deadline change for primary elections. The old deadline, Saturday 10 days before the primary, required auditor’s offices to stay open all day the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend for very few voters. Two years ago, Johnson County had two voters in nine hours: a county employee working over the weekend and the spouse of one of our staffers bringing in lunch.

Auditor’s offices will still be open on May 31, the Saturday before the election, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. State law still requires our office to be open on Saturday, October 25, 10 days before the November 4 general election. In the past, that date has seen more voter interest than the Saturday 10 days before the primary.

House File 2366 also frees up storage space by allowing auditors to keep voter registration forms on file electronically. The law also makes technical changes to provisions about city special elections.

Satellite Voting Site Added

Due to high turnout on the first day of early voting yesterday, the Auditor’s Office is adding an additional satellite voting site to the schedule.

Kirkwood Community College
Commons Area
1816 Lower Muscatine Rd.
Iowa City, IA 52245
Tuesday, May 6
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

210 voters – 200 Democrats and 10 Republicans – voted at the Old Capitol Center yesterday. (This total is updated from the total of 208 released last night.) Another 46 voters – 40 Democrats and 6 Republicans – voted at our office yesterday. 109 voters – 8 Republicans and 101 Democrats – have requested mailed ballots.

Full early voting schedule, including Kirkwood site:

Voting will be available at the office every weekday 7:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. through Monday, June 2, the day before the election. (Closed Memorial Day Monday, May 26.)

The Auditor's office will also be open as required by law on the Saturday before the election:

Saturday, May 31, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
In addition to early voting at the office, the following satellite voting sites are scheduled:

University of Iowa Main Library
125 W. Washington St., Iowa City
Wednesday, April 30, 3 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Kirkwood Community College
Commons Area
1816 Lower Muscatine Rd.
Iowa City, IA 52245
Tuesday, May 6
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Saturday Night Concert Series
City High & West High Jazz Ensembles
Wedge Pizza, Pedestrian Mall
136 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City
Saturday, May 17, 5 - 8 p.m.

Rural Health and Safety Clinic Votemobile
Hy-Vee Food Stores
812 S. 1st Avenue, Iowa City
West Parking Lot
Sunday, May 18, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Broadway Neighborhood Center
2105 Broadway, Iowa City
Wednesday, May 21, 1 - 5 p.m.

Iowa City Farmers Market
Chauncey Swan Parking Ramp
405 E. Washington St., Iowa City
Across street from City Hall
Saturday, May 24, 7:30 a.m. - noon

North Liberty Library
520 W Cherry St., North Liberty
Thursday, May 29, 3:30 - 7 p.m.

Iowa City Public Library
123 S. Linn St., Iowa City
Friday, May 30, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday, May 31, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sunday, June 1, noon – 5 p.m.

University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics
200 Hawkins Dr., Iowa City
Fountain Lobby
Friday, May 30, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Coralville Public Library
1401 5th St., Coralville
Saturday, May 31, 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 1, Noon - 4 p.m.

Voting Starts This Week

In person early voting for the June 3 primary starts tomorrow, April 24.

We've got two places to vote tomorrow. Voting starts at 7:45 a.m. at our office. We also have a satellite site on the first floor of the Old Capitol Mall from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Our office will have early voting every weekday from 7:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (One exception: we're taking Memorial Day off on Monday May 26.) Because the law says we have to, we're also open the last two Saturdays before the election: May 24 from 8 to 5 and May 31 from 9 to 5.

We've also got a full schedule of satellite voting that includes old standby sites and some new stuff we want to try out. We're voting at a farmer's market, a pizza place on the Ped Mall, and in a Votemobile.  Check the full schedule here.