In an effort to increase people’s understanding of the May 2 referendum on a new Dallas County Law Enforcement Center, Des Moines talk radio personalities Van Harden and Bonnie Lucas will be tossed into the county slammer Tuesday, April 25 from 5 to 9 a.m. on Newsradio 1040 WHO.
“We’ve really done it this time,” Harden said Monday. “The entire morning show will be broadcast from the Dallas County Jail, where residents are about to make a major decision on the future of their jail.”
County voters will face a single, albeit long, question on the May 2 special election ballot: “Shall the County of Dallas, State of Iowa, issue its general obligation bonds in an amount not exceeding the amount of $22,900,000 for the purpose of designing, constructing, erecting, equipping and furnishing a new sheriff’s office-law enforcement center, with related site improvements?”
The question is a “no-brainer,” according to vote-yes proponents, who say population growth in Dallas County — the fastest growing county in Iowa and fifth-fastest in the U.S., according to recent U.S. Census Bureau calculations — makes a new law enforcement center an urgent necessity.
“We’ll be exploring both sides of the upcoming vote,” Harden said, “and invite you to come out and decide for yourself. Not a Dallas County resident? Come anyways, and get an inside look at what it’s like to be locked up . . . assuming you don’t already know. Ha!”
What remains of Harden’s ludic levity will be seen once the doors close behind these radio personages, prominent members of a class denounced from the nation’s highest office as enemies of the American people, the dishonest media.
For voters seeking first-hand knowledge, tours of the county jail will again be offered Sunday, April 23 from 5-7 p.m. The series of 30-minute tours have been well attended at the Dallas County Jail at 201 Nile Kinnick Dr N. in Adel.
In order to vote in the May 2 countywide special election, a voter must be registered. The deadline to register to vote is 5 p.m. Friday, April 21.
Voters may cast an absentee ballot at the Dallas County Auditor’s office at 210 N. 10th St. in Adel during normal business hours from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The auditor’s office will also be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 21.
Voters can also register after April 21, but more identification will be required.
Absentee voters who vote at the Auditor’s office after the April 21 deadline or those who plan to register the day of the election at their polling locations will need to show hard-copy proof both of residency and identity. Electronic copies are unacceptable.
Examples of hard-copy proof of residency include:
- Property tax statement
- Utility bill
- Bank statement
- Paycheck
- Other government document
Example of hard-copy proof of identification, which must contain a photo, include:
- An Iowa driver’s license
- U.S. military identification
- Out-of-state driver’s license
- Employer–issued identification
- Non-driver identification card
- Student identification from an Iowa high school or college
- U.S. passport
All forms of photo identification must be current, valid and contain an expiration date or show “none” as the expiration date.
Voter registration forms are available in the Dallas County Auditor’s office and online at the auditor’s website and the Iowa Secretary of State website.
Registration Changes: Name, party and address changes if you are already registered within Dallas County may be made any time up to and including Election Day. Prior to Election Day, changes are made by the same means as voter registration. On Election Day, changes may be made at the voters’ polling place. If the voter has changed their address, the voter will need to go to the voter’s new polling site.
Absentee voting began March 31 and will continue until May 1. The auditor’s office is open for absentee voting during regular hours from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The auditor’s office will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 1.
Request forms for absentee ballots may be obtained at the Dallas County Auditor’s office or online at the Dallas County Auditor’s website.
All requests for ballots to be mailed must be received by 5 p.m. Friday, April 28. Completed absentee ballots must be postmarked by midnight the day prior to the election (May 1, 2017) or may be delivered to the Dallas County Auditor’s office before the polls close at 8 p.m. on election day.
For more information about the May 2 countywide special election, contact the Dallas County Auditor’s office at 515-993-6914 or at www.co.dallas.ia.us/government/auditor/elections.
