REOPENS AT NINE TOMORROW MORNING AND ELECTION OFFICES. THEY ARE BUSY ACROSS THE STATE AND THINGS ARE ONLY GOING TO GET BUSIER AS WE HIT THE FINAL STRETCH OF EARLY VOTING. vlog IS KAYLA JAMES IS LIVE IN NEWTON FOR US THIS EVENING AND KAYLA, JASPER COUNTY’S AUDITOR, SAYS NOW IS REALLY THE TIME TO START CRAFTING YOUR VOTING PLAN. YEAH, THAT’S RIGHT, JODI AND LAURA, THE WAIT TIMES FOR LINES HERE AT THE COURTHOUSE IN NEWTON HAVE BEEN ABOUT 10 TO 15 MINUTES LONG, SO NOT AS LONG AS IN OTHER PLACES LIKE POLK COUNTY. NOW, I DID SPEAK WITH THE JASPER COUNTY AUDITOR, WHO TELLS US THERE’S SOME THINGS FOR PEOPLE, NO MATTER WHERE THEY’RE VOTING, NEED TO KNOW TO HAVE A SMOOTH EXPERIENCE. WHETHER DROPPING OFF BALLOTS OR COMING IN TO FILL THEM OUT. SO YOU’VE GOT THE TOP THREE BOXES FILLED IN EARLY VOTING SITES STATEWIDE HAVE BEEN BUSY SINCE DAY ONE BETWEEN MAILERS AND PEOPLE WALKING IN THE DOOR, WE HAD 630 PEOPLE COME IN. MONDAY IS THE LAST DAY TO VOTE EARLY. AS THAT DAY APPROACHES, THE GIRLS TYPE IN YOUR NAME AND THEY’LL TELL YOU THE ADDRESS THEY’VE GOT. JENNINGS AND HER TEAM ARE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE WITH MAIL IN BALLOTS TO COME IN AND DROP THEM OFF. SO FAR, JASPER COUNTY HAS RECEIVED MORE THAN 8000 ABSENTEE BALLOTS, BOTH MAIL-IN AND IN PERSON. OUR LINES HAVEN’T BEEN TERRIBLE, BUT WE’VE BEEN WAITING, YOU KNOW, 15, 20 MINUTES IS WHAT WE’RE ANTICIPATING. AND WHILE LINES STATEWIDE ARE EXPECTED TO BE LONGER AS ELECTION DAY APPROACHES, JENNINGS SAYS PEOPLE COMING PREPARED CAN REALLY HELP THE OVERALL PROCESS, SUCH AS KNOWING WHAT TO BRING. IF YOUR DRIVER’S LICENSE DOESN’T HAVE A CURRENT ADDRESS, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND UPDATE THAT JUST BRING IN A FEW PIECES OF MAIL THAT PROVE THAT YOU LIVE WHERE YOU LIVE, OR IF MAIL OR AN APARTMENT LEASE ISN’T AN OPTION, JENNINGS SAYS PEOPLE CAN BRING A FRIEND WHO CAN ATTEST THEIR IDENTITY, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE AN ADDITIONAL FORM BEING FILLED OUT. THEY WOULD NEED TO HAVE THEIR DRIVER’S LICENSE AND OBVIOUSLY THEY HAVE TO BE IN THE SAME PRECINCT, JENNINGS SAYS. THE NEED FOR PROTESTERS ISN’T COMMON. FOLLOW ME. WE’LL GO INTO THE OFFICE, BUT PEOPLE ASKING FOR ASSISTANCE IS, WHICH JENNINGS SAYS IS COMPLETELY UNDERSTANDABLE. THE BUBBLES ARE SMALLER ON THE BALLOT, SO YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU GET THE ENTIRE CIRCLE FILLED IN. JENNINGS SAYS PROVIDING ANY HELP IS SOMETHING COUNTY AUDITORS ARE PREPARED FOR STATEWIDE. AND HERE’S ANOTHER REMINDER FROM JENNINGS. SO POLLS ON ELECTION DAY, THEY CLOSE AT 8 P.M. IF YOU ARE IN LINE AT 8 P.M., JENNINGS SAYS, STAY THERE BECAUSE YOU CAN STILL VOTE. AS FOR EARLY VOTING, THE LAST DAY IS MONDAY. LIVE IN NEWTON, KAYLA JAMES vlog EIGHT NEWS.
What to know as Iowans head into the final days of early voting
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Updated: 5:20 PM CDT Nov 1, 2024
As the end of the early voting period approaches, county auditors across Iowa are making sure Iowans are aware of what they need to vote on, which is sure to be a busy final few days before Tuesday. Early voting ends on Monday. Since Oct. 16, thousands of Iowans across the state have been heading to the early voting sites to cast their absentee ballots. "We've had 8,000 people so far as of right now today ," said Jenna Jennings, the Jasper County auditor. Jennings told vlog, the first day of the early voting period was the busiest. She said they had 630 people come in between mailers and in-person visits. Jennings says anyone who may still have their mail-in ballots, no matter where they live in the state, should look to drop them off at their county's site. "With mail time, it's going to take a little bit to get them here," Jennings said. "If at all possible, walk them into your courthouses and hand them in. You can do that all the way up until 8 o'clock on Monday." While the wait time for lines to vote early varies, Jennings told vlog that in Jasper County, people have waited 10-15 minutes at most.Across the state, lines are expected to get longer as election day approaches. However, Jennings said what people can do to help with the overall process is making sure they have everything they need to vote no matter what day they're going. She said it's important for people to have their IDs, like a driver's license. "If your driver's license isn't current, we can go ahead and update that," Jennings said. "Just bring in a few pieces of mail that prove that you live where you live." According to the Iowa Secretary of State's website, documents that are valid to help a voter prove their residence include residential leases, utility bills, bank statements, paychecks, government checks or other government documents, or property tax statements.If those documents are not available, Jennings says people can bring a friend who can attest their identity, which would require an additional form being filled out."They would need to have their driver's license, and obviously, they have to be in the same precinct," Jennings said.
NEWTON, Iowa — As the end of the early voting period approaches, county auditors across Iowa are making sure Iowans are aware of what they need to vote on, which is sure to be a busy final few days before Tuesday.
Early voting ends on Monday. Since Oct. 16, thousands of Iowans across the state have been heading to the early voting sites to cast their absentee ballots.
"We've had 8,000 people so far as of right now today [Friday]," said Jenna Jennings, the Jasper County auditor.
Jennings told vlog, the first day of the early voting period was the busiest. She said they had 630 people come in between mailers and in-person visits.
Jennings says anyone who may still have their mail-in ballots, no matter where they live in the state, should look to drop them off at their county's site.
"With mail time, it's going to take a little bit to get them here," Jennings said. "If at all possible, walk them into your courthouses and hand them in. You can do that all the way up until 8 o'clock on Monday."
While the wait time for lines to vote early varies, Jennings told vlog that in Jasper County, people have waited 10-15 minutes at most.
Across the state, lines are expected to get longer as election day approaches. However, Jennings said what people can do to help with the overall process is making sure they have everything they need to vote no matter what day they're going. She said it's important for people to have their IDs, like a driver's license.
"If your driver's license isn't current, we can go ahead and update that," Jennings said. "Just bring in a few pieces of mail that prove that you live where you live."
According to the Iowa Secretary of State's website, to help a voter prove their residence include residential leases, utility bills, bank statements, paychecks, government checks or other government documents, or property tax statements.
If those documents are not available, Jennings says people can bring a friend who can attest their identity, which would require an additional form being filled out.
"They would need to have their driver's license, and obviously, they have to be in the same precinct," Jennings said.
