Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman, reports absentee voting is available for the November 5 CITY / SCHOOL ELECTION.  Voters may vote an absentee ballot in the Cass County Auditor’s office during regular business hours (8:00 A.M. thru 4:30 P.M.) now thru Monday, November 4, 2019.

Any eligible voter who so chooses may vote a ballot before November 5 (called ABSENTEE BALLOT).  The ballot may be applied for by mail or may be voted at the office of the County Auditor on any day the office is open up through November 4.

IF VOTING AT THE COUNTY AUDITOR’S OFFICE: beginning now, the absentee voter may come to the CASS COUNTY COURTHOUSE during the regular office hours of 8 AM and 4:30 PM, Monday thru Friday, up through the day before the election and cast a ballot.  In addition to regular office hours, the office of Cass County Auditor will be open until 5 P.M. on Friday, October 25; Friday, November 1; and Monday, November 4.

IF VOTING BY MAIL: A written request may be mailed or hand delivered to the County Auditor’s office.  (Absentee request forms are available at the auditor’s office and on the Secretary of State’s web site: sos.iowa.gov).  A ballot along with instructions on how to complete the ballot will be mailed to the requester.  For the ballot to be counted the completed ballot then must be returned either by personal carrier to the office of County Auditor before close of polls on November 5 or returned by mail postmarked no later than November 4.  Deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail is 5 PM on Friday, October 25.  All BALLOTS ARE TO BE RETURNED whether they are voted or not voted.  A postage paid return envelope is provided with each absentee ballot mailed out.

VOTER REGISTRATION: In order to vote in Iowa a person must be registered in the person’s current county of residence, under the person’s current name, and at the person’s current address.  Registration forms are available at the county auditor’s office, many State of Iowa service offices and on the Secretary of State’s web site: sos.iowa.gov

The county election commissioner recommends that persons not currently registered or who have moved since last registering and are planning to vote in the November CITY / SCHOOL ELECTION, pre-register in the office of the County Auditor as soon as possible.  You may register or re-register and vote absentee on the same day.  Last day to pre-register in the office of the County Auditor is Friday, October 25, 2019.  Auditor’s office is open until 5:00 P.M. on October 25.

Reminder: You may also update your registration when you update your address for your driver’s license.  Since your Iowa driver’s license is often used as official identification, it is important that the data shown is accurate. Iowa law requires residents to notify the Department of Transportation within 30 days of an address change.  An easy method for changing your address is to visit an Iowa driver’s license station – in Cass County that station is in the Cass County Treasurer’s office, Courthouse, Atlantic, Iowa.

The address for the Cass County Auditor / Election Commissioner is: CASS COUNTY AUDITOR, COURTHOUSE, 5 W 7TH ST, ATLANTIC, IOWA 50022  (Phone:712-243-4570;   Email: auditor@casscoia.us)

*** GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT ELECTION DAY VOTING AT THE VOTING CENTERS:

1) Voter must be pre-registered in the county of the voter’s residence at least eleven days prior to CITY / SCHOOL election day.  Or voter may register on election day and vote after proving identity and residence.

2) Voter must vote at the voting center for the precinct in which the voter resides.

3) If a voter is registered in the county but has moved within the county (and/or changed name) since last registering, the potential voter must still go to the correct voting center {see ‘1)’ above} and may vote on election day.  HOWEVER, BEFORE CASTING A BALLOT:

A: Voter must re-register (at the voting center for the precinct in which the voter resides).

B: Voter must present proof of identity and residence:

The ID card must be valid; must display a color photograph of the potential voter; and the ID must have the signature of the prospective voter.

(If proof of ID cannot be furnished, voter may vote but must cast a ‘PROVISIONAL ballot’.  PROVISIONAL ballots will be reviewed on the 2nd day after the election.)

4) ID is required for any person voting at the polls on election day.

NOTE ON VOTING PROCEDURE ON NOVEMBER 5 and POLLS:

In Cass County all voters will mark and cast a paper ballot.  The voter will feed the marked ballot through an optical scan unit which will immediately tabulate the information.  In addition each precinct will have available a ballot marking device for use by those blind or those with other handicaps which cause them to be unable to directly mark a paper ballot without assistance.  This equipment will generate a ballot after the voter makes his selections.  The ballot marked by the equipment’s ‘printer’ will be fed through the optical scan unit in a manner similar to those ballots directly marked by a voter.  The handicapped voter may, in lieu of using this machine, request assistance from the poll workers or from a person of his/her own choice.

To comply with law all polling centers used for this election must be disabled accessible.  To provide disabled accessible polling centers and to help limit equipment and other election costs, the Cass County Board of Supervisors set the number of voting centers/polls at 13 by county ordinance.  For the 2019 CITY / SCHOOL election there will be 12 voting centers.

For the candidates and public measures to be voted on in your respective CITY and/or SCHOOL DISTRICT see the SCHOOL CANDIDATES and CITY CANDIDATES listing. NOTE: This is a COUNTY-WIDE election.  Every eligible voter in Cass County is eligible to vote in this election.  City residents will vote for both city and school candidates; and rural residents will vote for school candidates only.

THE VOTING CENTERS FOR THIS ELECTION WILL BE AS FOLLOWS:

Atlantic 1st Ward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Zion Lutheran Church (811 Oak St)

Atlantic 2nd Ward. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Atlantic Public Library (507 Poplar)

Atlantic 3rd Ward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Cass County Community Center (805 W 10th)

Atlantic 4th Ward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  United Church of Christ (1607 Hazel)

Atlantic 5th Ward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Heritage House (1200 Brookridge Circle)

City of Anita/ Grant, Lincoln Twp  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   Anita Community Center (805 Main St)

City of Cumberland/ Union Twp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   Cumberland Community Bldg. (200 W 2nd)

City of Griswold/ Noble, Pleasant Twp  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    Griswold Community Bldg. (601 2nd St)

City of Lewis/ Bear Grove, Cass Twp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   Lewis Public Library (412 W. Main St, Lewis)

City of Marne/ Brighton, Grove, Pymosa, Washington Twp. .      Cass County Community Center (805 W 10th)

City of Massena/ Massena, Edna and Victoria Twp  . . . . . . . .    Massena Public Library (122 Main St, Massena)

City of Wiota/ Benton, Franklin Twp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   Wiota City Hall (311 Center St)