Iowa man concerned he hasn’t received his absentee ballot in the mail
By Ophelie Jacobson
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WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — A West Des Moines man said he and his wife are still waiting to receive the absentee ballots they requested by mail.
Tom Deardorff and his wife of 45 years sent in their absentee request forms in September. He said they got confirmation that their ballots had been sent out by the Polk County auditor’s office on Oct. 16.
“We’ve never received them,” Deardorff said. “It’s getting kind of late.”
He said they made the decision to vote by absentee ballot because his wife is housebound, so it is hard for her to get out and vote. He said they voted by mail in 2020 and had no issues.
“Most people in our community have received and sent them back like a week ago,” Deardorff said. “We’re just kind of wondering what happened to ours.”
He said some of their friends are in the same boat. He fears he and his wife are running out of time to vote.
The secretary of state’s office said the best thing to do if you haven’t received your ballot is to call your county auditor. Deardorff did and said he was told by the Polk County auditor’s office that they could send another ballot, but he still has concerns.
“Where’s all the other ballots that people haven’t received?” he asked.
Polk County Auditor Jamie Fitzgerald confirmed to KCCI that they sent the Deardorffs each another ballot on Oct. 26. Deardorff said if they don’t receive their ballots this week, he’ll vote in person, but his wife probably won’t be able to.
KCCI reached out to the U.S. Postal Service about the issue. You can read their statement below.
The U.S. Postal Service is committed to the secure, timely delivery of the nation’s Election Mail. In 2024, just as we have in previous elections, the Postal Service is fulfilling its role in the electoral process when voters choose to utilize vote by mail as a part of the election system. We are employing a robust and proven process to ensure proper handling and delivery of all Election Mail, including ballots.
Regarding ballots in Iowa, without further information or a review of the ballot or information specific to the customer that you reference, we are unable to comment further.
For FY24 Q4, 95.95% of Election Mail in Iowa has arrived within a day of our service standard and is delivered in an average of 1.3 days. Customers concerned that their ballot has not arrived may wish to reach out to their local election office for a replacement or to explore other alternatives.
On Monday, October 28, the Postal Service provided this media release, suggesting that voters choosing to use the mail to return ballots should please mail early as every day counts.
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