A reminder that rules have been altered on who can return a completed absentee ballot

MASON CITY — Now that the absentee ballot voting period has started in Iowa, people need to remember that there have been some changes in the rules on how absentee ballots can be returned.

Cerro Gordo County Auditor Adam Wedmore says besides returning them in person, certain family members can also return them on your behalf.  “The voter is eligible to return that ballot either by the mail, in person to our counter, or they can put it in our drop box outside the courthouse, or the voter can have any of their immediate family members within the fourth degree return that ballot to us, or else the voter can designate somebody else from their household to return that ballot to them.”

Wedmore says the final option for voters to return a ballot is by choosing a designated delivery agent.   “Which can be a person who the voter themselves has chosen who is not either a family member, not a member of the household, cannot be a candidate, a member of their union, their employer, a few other excluding factors. That person would then, once they’ve filled out a form attesting that they are returning the ballot, could take that ballot from the voter and return it to our office, and then we’d go through a process to verify that person.”

Absentee ballots must be returned to a county auditor’s office no later than 8 o’clock on election night or they will not be counted.

Absentee ballot request forms can also be requested by heading to the Cerro Gordo County Auditor’s website.