The Warren County Auditor’s office has admitted, both in a press release and in interviews with KCCI, that it sent the “incorrect ballot style” to two absentee voters. In plain English, getting the “incorrect ballot style” means you received the wrong ballot. In one instance, a voter in Indianola Precinct Number 4 received a ballot for Norwalk Precinct Number 5. The voter fortunately realized that he had the wrong ballot before he sent it in. If the voter completed and returned the ballot, he would have been voting for an Iowa House Representative in a district that was not his, and for a Warren County Supervisor in a district that wasn’t his, not to mention other lesser offices.
This is a nonpartisan issue. It is a serious matter which should not be minimized or ignored. This should never happen and it is not known yet, and may never be known, why it happened or how often it happened. We hope it is rare, but don’t know. Absentee voters should never be sent the wrong ballot. The correct number of wrong ballots sent out to absentee voters is zero.
The voters should be informed of this problem, why it is serious, how to check for it, and how to correct it. This information should have been broadcasted to the voters by the government by multiple means with emphasis on its importance and the need to act. Not only would this ensure the preservation of the voters’ right to vote for the correct offices, a proactive approach would give the auditor’s office an idea of how frequently the wrong ballots were sent out based on public response to the announcement.
Each absentee voter should check his or her ballot to make sure they have the correct ballot. Each absentee voter should check his or her ballot to make sure it is for their precinct. The precinct will be named at the top of the ballot.
If you are not sure what your precinct is, you can find out by visiting the Iowa Secretary of State’s website for “Find Your Precinct/Polling Place” at this link https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/VoterReg/PollingPlace/search.aspx
If you determine that you have the wrong ballot, or are not certain after investigating the matter, contact the Warren County Auditor at 515-690-9180 to get the correct ballot, if necessary.
If you have already placed your ballot in a sealed envelope to be returned to the auditor, do NOT open the envelope. If the envelope has been opened, the ballot will be considered to be “spoiled” and not counted when received by the auditor. If you spoil your ballot, contact the Warren County Auditor at 515-690-9180 to get a replacement.
This is a Public Service Announcement solely from Donald W. Bohlken, and NOT from any candidate, any candidate’s committee, any political party, and certainly NOT from the government authorities.
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