DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate in encouraging voters to cast absentee ballots by mail in the upcoming June 2 primary, and his office launched a media campaign Friday to inform voters about mail-in voting.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, practicing social distancing by voting absentee with a mailed ballot is the safest option Pate said.
The Secretary of State’s office will soon send absentee ballot request forms to every active registered voter in the state. The forms should arrive in voters’ mailboxes later this month and will include pre-paid postage for returning them to the county auditor’s office.
Once voters receive their absentee ballot request form in the mail, they should fill out and mail it promptly. Iowans can also download the request form directly from the Iowa Secretary of State website. Requests must be received by your county auditor’s office by 5 p.m. on Friday, May 22.
“We want all eligible citizens to participate in our elections and casting a ballot by mail is the best method during this pandemic,” Pate said. “Absentee voting has security measures in place to ensure the integrity of the vote.”
Primary elections are intended for members of the Republican and Democratic parties only. No Party voters who choose to request a party’s ballot will have their voter registration officially changed to that political party.
For more information about the June 2 primary, visit VoterReady.Iowa.gov.
