ELECTIONS

JoCo Votes: How long will it take for absentee ballots to be counted in Iowa?

Zachary Oren Smith
Iowa City Press-Citizen

We're two weeks from Election Day 2020, and misinformation is running full-speed, raising suspicion about the sanctity of your ballot.

For weeks, concerned readers have called and emailed the Press-Citizen wondering whether their vote the Nov. 3 will be counted. While experts are saying 2020 could be the safest election in our history, some are still concerned.

In this series, ahead of Nov. 3's presidential election, our staff will get some answers.

Submit your election questions to me, at zsmith@press-citizen.com. Be sure to include your name and the city or township you live in, as well as a phone number for us to reach you if we need more information.

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How long will it take for absentee ballots to be counted?

As of Monday, Oct. 19, Johnson County had issued 45,000 absentee ballots across the county, 33,000 of which had been returned. While some of the ballots were requested by people looking to vote at home, the numbers also include those who voted at the county's satellite voting locations.

While he said his office could always use more personnel and more highspeed ballot scanners, Johnson County Auditor Travis Weipert said he's feeling confident about how the process has unfolded so far, "knock on wood."

"We have the infrastructure, but it is one of those things you can never have enough of. We know we can handle it, but for us, we'd always love more," Weipert said.

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In prior elections — like the Sept. 29 Coralville Special Election — the absentee ballot counts were among the first available on the auditor's website, posting immediately after polls had closed. Despite experts warning of delays in results due to the greater adoption of absentee voting, Weipert said he didn't expect this to be any different in Johnson County come Nov. 3.

"We expect an immediate (absentee ballot) count and to report those after polls close," Weipert told the Press-Citizen.

He added that, since absentee turnout is projected to be so high, counts of absentee ballots when polls have closed might prove sufficient enough to determine a victor in many of the area's local races before any of the evening's precincts have reported their tallies. He cautioned, though, that people should wait to call races until precincts have reported in.

He said concerns about absentee ballot counting speeds is credible for some states and counties, but in Johnson County, he insisted, staffing and equipment are sufficient to get the job done. Aiding that work, they have a head start on getting ballots counted.

Iowa and 24 peer states allow for election officials to begin counting absentee ballots prior to Election Day. In Iowa's case, that process will begin Monday, Nov. 2.

More from JoCo Votes series:

  1. "One person, one vote? Can I vote twice?"
  2. "What you need to know about who's watching the polls?"
  3. "I sent in a prepopulated ABR and got a ballot back. Is my ballot still valid?"

Zachary Oren Smith writes about government, growth and development for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Reach him at zsmith@press-citizen.com, at 319 -339-7354 or on Twitter via @Zacharyos.