County officials agree changes are needed to election policies--but no changes approved in November 6th results

Emotions ran high Tuesday afternoon as around 40 people jammed in to the Winneshiek County Courthouse Annex to discuss the ballots which were not counted from the November 6th election because their envelopes arrived after Election Day without postmarks.

Iowa Deputy Commissioner of Elections Ken Kline was invited to attend Tuesday's meeting,  Kline served as Cerro Gordo County Auditor for more than 25 years before being appointed to the state position earlier this year.  He was joined by Winneshiek County Auditor Ben Steines in discussing what are now 32 absentee ballots which arrived from the Post Office after Election Day without postmarks.

Steines told the large crowd that every year he receives ballots without postmarks.  He said he would welcome a new system which would reduce the number of disallowed ballots.  "I would hope the legislature would address this," he said.

Decorah resident Shirley Vermace said the Post Office scans every piece of mail she receives and tells her when it was sent.  She urged the State of Iowa to use the digital scanning to determine when a ballot is mailed.

One audience member stated, "We have kind of a mess here."  Supervisor John Beard was sympathetic, saying, "the standard we have for postmarks is not OK and needs changing immediately."

Supervisors accepted the results from last Friday's vote audit.  Candidates have until 5:00 p.m. this Friday to file a request for an official vote recount.