IOWA, USA — Leading up to the 2020 Iowa primary on June 2, there were a lot of questions surrounding voter turnout during the pandemic. COVID-19 has changed a lot this year, including voting. In fact, this year, a record number of people are turning to absentee ballots.
This past Friday was the final day to request an absentee ballot. Now that the number is capped, Iowa has actually set a record in mail-in voting requests for this primary.
This year, 474,427 Iowans requested to vote absentee, and more than half of those voters have already made their decisions and have had their ballots sent to their county auditors' offices.
That's a huge jump from 2016, the last presidential election year, when less than 10,000 people actually submitted their vote by mail.
If you have yet to submit your ballot, here are some things to keep in mind:
- Ballots have to be postmarked by Monday, June 1
- Some counties have consolidated voting locations due to volunteer shortage
- You can still vote in person! Curbside voting is available at all voting locations.
- Must be registered as a Democrat or a Republican to vote in this primary
If you'd rather not wait until next Tuesday, but didn't request an absentee ballot, early voting is available at county courthouses.
Have an absentee ballot in the mail? You can track its status here.
If you need to register to vote, you can do it online here.