ELECTION 2024

Early county voting at record levels

County to open doors Saturday for early voting

Posted

LEE COUNTY – Early voting in Lee County has accounted for close to 23% of all registered voters and that’s through Monday with a full week of early voting remaining.
According to Lee County Auditor Denise Fraise, close to 5,000 ballots have been cast already ahead of the Nov. 5 general election.
“In my 30 years here, it’s never been like this. Ever.” Fraise said.
Residents were lined up at the voter registration counter at the North Lee County offices Monday morning at least four at a time with voters waiting their turn.
She said not since Barack Obama’s first run at president was early voting this prevalent.
“I think we had 9,000 early ballots that year, but back then we had forty days to mail out ballots. Now it’s four,” Fraise said.
“We’re doing about 300 in-person ballots a day and I think Keokuk’s doing another 100 or so.”
In person voting has been going on since Oct. 16 and the county has mailed out approximately 2,500 ballots. If the trend continues or increases the county could see more than 40% of registered voters casting early ballots, which would get close to 10,000 including mail-in ballots.
Fraise cautiously said things have been running very smoothly.
“I hedge on saying this for fear of jinxing it, but things have been going pretty smoothly so far,” she said.
“We’re still seeing things like people not signing their ballot and we have to call them, but for all the early voting we’re seeing, things are going pretty well.”
She said the race for Lee County Sheriff which is pitting current Sheriff Stacy Weber against former deputy Elliott Vandenberg, and the highly charged presidential election, are what she feels is contributing to the high numbers in early voting.
Early voting continues through 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 4. Fraise said both Fort Madison and Keokuk offices will be open this Saturday for early voting from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
She said people who are mailing in ballots need to make sure they are signing the affidavit form. The area to sign is highlighted in yellow and marked with an “X”.
“I’m glad people are voting early,” she said. “For us it’s like running two elections, the before and then the day of.”
The county has close to 22,000 registered voters and with all offices up for election seeing contested races this year, odds are good that voter turnout will continue to be high through Election Day.
Local races include:
• President – Donald J. Trump (R-challenger) vs. Kamala Harris (D-challenger)
• 1st District U.S. Congress – Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Incumbent)  vs. Christine Bohannan (D-Challenger)
• 100th District State Rep. – Martin Graber (R-Incumbent) vs. Nicholas Atwood (Ind. – challenger)
•49th District State Sen. Matt Rinker (R-Incumbent) vs. James Beres (D-challenger)
•50th District State Sen. Jeff Reichman (R-Incumbent) vs. Nannette Griffin (D-challenger)
•District 1 Supervisor: Ron Fedler (D-Incumbent) vs. Denise Fraise (R-challenger), Joey Herren (Ind.- challenger)
•District 4 Supervisor: Garry Seyb Jr. (R-Incumbent) vs. Teresa Murray (D-challenger), Jim Steffen (Freedom – challenger)
•District 5 Supervisor: Matt Pflug (D-Incumbent) vs. Ginger Knisley (D-challenger)
•Lee County Auditor: Roslyn Garcia (D-challenger) vs. Sherri Yasenchok (R-challenger)
•Lee County Sheriff: Stacy Weber (D-incumbent) vs. Elliott Vandenberg (R-challenger).
Lee County polling places for the Nov. 5 election are as follows:
Fort Madison Ward 1 -Fort Madison City Hall, 811 Avenue E, Fort Madison
Fort Madison Ward 2 - McAleer Hall, 415 11th Street, Fort Madison
Fort Madison Ward 3 - Fort Madison Public Library, 1920 Ave E,   Fort Madison
Fort Madison Wards 4A & 4B - Roling Hall, 2210 Avenue I,  Fort Madison
Fort Madison Ward 5 and Madison Township - Fort Madison Christian Church, 1029 48th Street,  Fort Madison
Keokuk Ward  1 - South Lee Co. Courthouse, 25 N 7th Street, Keokuk
Keokuk Wards 2A & 2B - Heritage Center, 508 Main Street, Keokuk
Keokuk Ward 3 - Keokuk Public Library, 210 N 5th Street, Keokuk
Keokuk Ward  4 - Evangelical Free Church, 2315 S 7th Street, Keokuk
Keokuk Ward 5 - Keokuk Community School District Business Office, 500 N 20th Street, Keokuk
Keokuk Ward 6 - First Christian Church, 3476 Main Street, Keokuk
Keokuk Ward 7 - Keokuk Nazarene Church, 3116 Plank Road, Keokuk
Franklin & Marion Townships, & Cities of Donnellson, Franklin, & St Paul - Pilot Grove Savings Bank Community Room, 506 N. Main Street,   Donnellson
Cedar, Charleston, Harrison & Van Buren Townships, and City of Houghton - Central Lee School District Administrative Building, 2642 Hwy 218,   Donnellson
Des Moines & Jackson Townships  - Hidden Tower Event Center, 2416 340th Street, Keokuk
Jefferson Township and West Montrose Township - Lee County Conservation Center, 2652 Hwy 61, Montrose
East Montrose Township and City of Montrose - Ivor Fowler Center, 710 Main Street, Montrose
Denmark, Green Bay, Pleasant Ridge, and Washington Townships  - Wever Townhall/Fire Station, 1692 354th Avenue, Wever
West Point Township and City of West Point - West Point American Legion, 309 5th Street, West Point
Pre-registered voters are required to provide an approved form of identification at the polling place before receiving and casting a regular ballot.  Voters who are not pre-registered, such as voters registering to vote on Election Day - and voters changing precincts must also provide proof of residence.  A voter who is unable to provide an approved form of identification (or prove residence, if required) 1) may have voter’s identity/residence attested to by another registered voter in the precinct, 2) prove identity and residence using Election Day Registration documents, or 3) cast a provisional ballot and provide proof of identity/residence at the County Auditor’s office by Tuesday, November 12, 2024 at 12:00 p.m.  Election Day Registrant attesters must provide an approved form of identification.  For additional information about providing proof of identity and/or residence visit:  https://sos.iowa.gov/voterid or phone 319-372-3705.      
Any voter who is physically unable to enter a polling place has the right to vote in the voter’s vehicle. For further information, please contact the County Auditor’s office at 319-372-3705 or by e-mail at dfraise@leecountyiowa.gov.

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