Secretary of State Paul Pate announced today that all Iowans can begin requesting absentee ballots for the November 8th general election. County auditors will begin mailing out absentee ballots October 19th. And that is also the first day that Iowans can vote in-person for the November election. In the state of Iowa, the law allows for Iowans to request absentee ballots 70 days before an election.
Absentee ballots request forms can be found on the Secretary of State's website.
Voters need to download that form and then mail it to their county auditor. If you are unsure who your auditor is, that information can be found here. Military members stationed outside the U.S. and overseas citizens can also request absentee ballot forms here. For more information, voters can visit VoterReady.Iowa.gov.
AARP Iowa and state officials are going on a statewide “fraud watch” tour to educate older Iowans on how to spot and prevent scams that target seniors, according to the Des Moines Register.
To a crowd of about 80 people in a Des Moines library today, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller and fraud experts with AARP Iowa and state agencies explained methods scammers use to steal money over the phone and by email or mail.
The most common scam that people report to the attorney general’s office is an imposter scam — scammers pose as relatives, romantic interests, and companies or government officials and convince the victim to send them money.
Democrat Mike Franken of Sioux City is launching his first campaign ad of the general election as he seeks to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley.
The Des Moines Register reports that the ad, called "Truth to Power," began airing today. It focuses on Franken's military background and highlights examples in which he disagreed with presidents from both political parties.
Franken has frequently highlighted his opposition to the Iraq War, and his campaign website says "Franken was the only voice on a team of military advisers to oppose George W. Bush's invasion of Iraq."
The Nebraska chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is demanding that a Grand Island school district reinstate its journalism program after the district abruptly shut down an award-winning student newspaper for publishing content related to LGBTQ+ issues.
According to reporting from the Grand Island Independent, students and faculty were advised in May that Northwest High School’s 54-year-old newspaper, the Viking Saga, would be axed, as would the school’s entire journalism program. In the newspaper’s final issue, students wrote three articles — two editorials and one news story — on LGBTQ+ issues, such as Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law and the history of Pride Month.
AARP and two state agencies will be holding a series of seminars around the state to alert older Iowans to some of the most common scams and how to avoid them.
State Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen says the best way to defeat fraud is to prevent fraud. Officials from the Iowa Insurance Division will be part of the “Fraud Watch Tour” this fall. Ommen says one of the biggest red flags that you’re being targeted by a scam is when you’re pushed to make a decision immediately.
On Tuesday, September 13, SLCSD residents will vote on a bond question. If approved, it would allow us to move ahead on Phase II of our plan to address space and facility needs in our schools.
An approved bond would not include a property tax rate increase, as the district portion of the local tax levy would remain the same.
There will be five voting locations open in our community on election day, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. These include:
Storm Lake 1: BV County Engineer Building (526 Radio Road, Storm Lake)
Storm Lake 2: Storm Lake Library (609 Cayuga St., Storm Lake)
Storm Lake 3: St. Mark Lutheran Church (1614 W 5th St, Storm Lake)
Storm Lake 4: Courthouse Public Meeting Room (215 E. 5th St., Storm Lake)
Grant-Hayes-Providence-Washington (includes cities of Lakeside & Truesdale): Lakeside City Hall (203 Lakeshore Dr., Lakeside)
If you have questions about where you should vote, please see the map. You can also find information at https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/.
You also may request an absentee ballot to be mailed to you, from now through Monday, August 29. To fill out the absentee ballot request form online, visit https://bvcountyelections.iowa.gov or https://sos.iowa.gov.
Additionally, voters may cast their ballots early in person at the Buena Vista County Courthouse.
