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Absentee Voting Information:
http://www.sos.state.ia.us/elections/voterreg/voterguidefiles/Absentee.html
Absentee ballot application:
http://www.sos.state.ia.us/PDFS/AbsenteeBallotApp.pdf
How do I request an absentee ballot?
To request an absentee ballot, print out the Iowa Absentee Ballot Request Form (link above), fill it out and mail it to the Auditor's Office.
Buchanan County Auditor's Office
P.O. Box 317
210 5th Ave NE
Independence, IA 50644-0317
Upon receiving the request and when ballots are available, an absentee ballot and voting instructions will be mailed to you.
You may call the Auditor's Office to have a request form mailed to you. (319) 334-4109.
NEW: In lieu of the Iowa Absentee Ballot Request Form, you may submit a written request for an absentee ballot on a piece of paper no smaller than 3x5 inches. The request must contain the following information:
Name
Date of Birth
Address (this must be a street address, not a PO Box)
Mailing Address for the Absentee Ballot (if different from Buchanan County voting address)
Political Party Affiliation (Primary Election only)
Name and Date of Election (e.g., General Election, November 4, 2008)
Signature and Date
Who may vote an absentee ballot?
Any registered voter may vote early for any reason in any election. There are two ways to vote early:
In Person: Once ballots become available, you may vote in the Auditor's Office during business hours, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Additional in person voting opportunities are available the two Saturdays preceding Primary and General elections.
The deadline to vote absentee in person is 5:00 p.m. the Monday before an election.
By Mail: To vote by mail, send a signed request form or a written request for an absentee ballot with all the required information to the Auditor's Office.
When can I apply for an absentee ballot?
You can request an absentee ballot for an election at any time. However, ballots will not be mailed until they are available.
The deadline to request that a ballot be mailed to you is 5:00 p.m. on the Friday before an election. You may still vote early in person at the Auditor's Office until 5:00 p.m. on the Monday before an election
If you are voting by mail, your ballot must be postmarked the day before the election OR returned in person to the Auditor's Office by the close of polls on Election Day.
When are ballots sent out?
By law, ballots must be ready 40 days before Primary and General elections. The law does not specify when ballots must be ready for other types of elections.
As soon as ballots are available, they are sent to everyone who has requested a ballot up to that point. Requests that are received after ballots are available are processed and sent out within the next business day.
Can I sign up to automatically get an absentee ballot for every election?
In Iowa, you must request an absentee ballot in writing for each election. The only exception is for members of the military or voters living outside the United States. Overseas citizens and military personnel may complete a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) and receive ballots for all elections through two general election cycles.
I am in the military and/or living overseas. How can I vote absentee?
Go / Click on web link listed below:
http://www.fvap.gov/
I am a college/graduate student. Where should I get my absentee ballot?
In Iowa, students have the option to vote either at home or in their college town. For more information about student options, go to the Secretary of States College Students Vote page.
I have moved. Can I request a ballot? Which address should I use?
If you are currently a registered voter and you moved within Buchanan County, fill out the absentee request form with your new address. Be sure to check the box (#3) on the form; this allows us to update your voter registration with your new address.
If you are a new registrant in Buchanan County, complete both a voter registration form and an absentee ballot request and submit them to the Auditor's Office.
Can I request a ballot by email?
No. We need a signed original request. State law does not allow us to accept requests for absentee ballots via email.
Can I request a ballot by fax?
Yes, you may fax a completed request form to (319) 334-4234. We can mail you your ballot if we receive a faxed request. Requests must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Friday before an election.
In order for your vote to be counted, you must mail us the original signed request. The original request document must be postmarked by the Friday before Election Day and must be received by the Friday following most elections. If the canvass by the Board of Supervisors is held during the week of the election, the time of the canvass is the deadline for receipt of the original signed request. [IA 721 - 21.2(2)]
Can I request an absentee ballot for someone else?
You may pick up a request form for someone, have them sign it, and bring or send the form back to our office.
A person who has been designated to have power of attorney (POA) by a registered voter does not have the authority to request or to cast an absentee ballot on behalf of the registered voter.
Can I pick up an absentee ballot for someone else?
Again, you may pick up a request form for someone else, but we must mail the ballot directly to that voter. You may mail multiple requests in the same envelope.
Can I take a ballot home with me?
No. Iowa law does not allow us to give you a ballot to take home. You can either vote in our office or we can mail you your ballot.
If I lose my absentee ballot, can I get another one?
Yes. However, you must sign a statement that you have lost or did not receive the first absentee ballot. Our office keeps a record of each request, and provides a list of these requests to the polling place to ensure that each voter only casts one ballot.
How do I return my absentee ballot?
You can return your ballot by mail (postage is paid) or in person.
Can I return my ballot by fax?
No, the actual ballot must be returned.
Does the ballot have to be returned by mail?
No. Your absentee ballot may be returned in person or by mail. Return postage is paid.
Can I give my voted absentee ballot to someone else to return for me?
Yes. Iowa law no longer requires registered couriers.
When must I return the voted ballot?
Absentee ballots must be received no later than the close of polls (9:00 p.m. for General and partisan Primary elections, and 8:00 p.m. for all other elections) on Election Day. Your voted absentee ballot must be returned to the Auditor's Office (not your polling place). If you return your voted ballot by mail, your ballot must be postmarked by the day before the election. It will be counted if it arrives by noon on the Monday after the election, or before the canvass (official certification of results). The canvass is usually six days after the election, but may be held sooner.
If I request an absentee ballot, can I change my mind and still vote at my regular polling place?
You may surrender your absentee ballot, including envelopes, to precinct officials at your regular polling place. You will then be allowed to vote in the normal manner.
If you requested an absentee ballot but lost it or never received it, or if you do not bring your absentee ballot with you to the polls, you will be required to sign an oath stating this fact. You may then vote a provisional ballot. The counting of provisional ballots is determined by the Special Board.
How are absentee ballots counted?
All absentee ballots remain sealed until Election Day. On Election Day, a bipartisan Special Board opens the ballots and feeds them into a voting machine. The results are not tabulated until the polls are closed. If additional absentee ballots with timely postmarks arrive after Election Day and before the canvass, members of the Special Board reconvene to examine and count them.
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