Registered voters in Winneshiek County will get mailed an Absentee Ballot Request

Every active voter in Winneshiek County will get an absentee ballot request form from Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate's office in time to vote absentee in November's election.

Pate won unanimous approval from the Iowa Legislature's Legislative Council to do the statewide mailing.  Last month the Iowa Legislature passed a law banning the Secretary of State from sending out the mailing without first getting approval from the 24-member committee. 

The vote means the Secretary of State's Office will mail out absentee ballot request forms to all voters--just like the office did before the June Primary. 

Winneshiek County Auditor Ben Steines says his office also will be providing absentee request forms in as many ways as possible to encourage safe voting during the COVID-19 crisis.  Says Steines, "We will still have in-person absentee balloting and in-person voting on Election Day, but encourage people to vote in the manner that makes them feel safest."