Iowa consolidating polling sites for primary election

Iowa consolidating polling sites for primary election

THEIR PRIMARYELECTIONS AND SAWTURNOUT THEYHAVEN'T SEEN SINCETHE EARLY 1990'S,WITH MANYNEBRASKANS VOTINGABSENTEE.NEXT TUESDAY, IT'SIOWA'S TURN FOR APRIMARYELECTION...AND THEIRPRIMARY MIRRORSNEBRASKA IN MANYWAYS, INCLUDING APUSH TO VOTE BYMAIL.BUT REPORTER JONKIPPER SAYS THERE'SONE BIG DIFFERENCEIN IOWA THAT ISWORRYING SOMEPEOPLE."IT'S IOWA'S TURN FORA PRIMARY ELECTION,COMING UP ONTUESDAY, WITH THISYEAR, BEING A BITDIFFERENT.MAINLY POLLINGPLACES, GOING FROM40 ON A NORMALBASIS, DOWN TO JUSTFIVE, INCLUDINGTHOMAS JEFFERSONHIGH SCHOOL BEHINDME.THAT'S MAINLYBECAUSE COUNTYOFFICIALS SAY THEYHAVEN'T BEEN ABLETO FIND ENOUGHPOLL WORKERS."JON LL OPEN"IT'S NOT IDEAL, BUTIT'S THE REALITY, OFTHAT'S WHAT WE CANSTAFF."KRISTI EVERETT,DEPUTYAUDITOR/ELECTIONS, POTT.CO.KRISTI EVERETT ISDEPUTY AUDITOR INPOTTAWATTAMIECOUNTY, SHE RUNSELECTIONS.WHEN SHEORIGINALLY HAD TOGO TO FIVE POLLINGSITES, SHE HADABOUT 75 POLLWORKERS ...SOMEHAVE SINCE DROPPEDOFF, AS RECENT ASTHIS WEEK."AS THE DISEASEPROGRESSED ALITTLE BIT MORE THEYJUST DIDN'T FEELCOMFORTABLE.AND MOST OF MYPRECINCT WORKERSARE HIGH RISK."EVERETTHAVING ENOUGH POLLWORKERS IS ONECONCERN FOR NEXTTUESDAY.AS IF MAKING SURETHOSE THAT COMEINTO VOTE...ARESAFE.THAT WORRY ISSHARED BY SCOTTPUNTENEY, CHAIR OFTHE POTT COUNTYDEMOCRATS."THERE IS ACONCERN,OBVIOUSLY, WE DON'TWANT TO PUTANYBODY SAFETY ATRISK, RIGHT."SCOTT PUNTENEY,POTT COUNTY DEMSTHE STATE IS TAKINGPRECAUTIONS.PUTTING UP WINDOWSHIELDS, ENSURINGEVERYBODY ISWEARING A MASK, ANDMAKING SUREEVERYBODY IS SIXFEET A PART, WITHJUST FIVE TO 10PEOPLE ALLOWED ATA TIME.THAT MEANS SOMEPEOPLE WAITING TOVOTE WON'T BEINSIDE."WE WILL NOT ALLOWLINES IN THE POLLINGSITES, SO THEY'LLEITHER HAVE TO STAYIN THEIR CARS ORLINE UP OUTSIDE THEBUILDINGS."EVERETTBUT THE BIGGESTPRECAUTION THESTATE TOOK?

HEAVILYENCOURAGING VOTEBY MAIL IT SEEMS TOHAVE WORKED.USUALLY VOTERTURNOUT IS LOW INPOTTAWATTAMIECOUNTY.IN THE 2016 PRIMARY,7 PERCENT VOTED, ITWENT UP TO 9PERCENT IN 2018...BUTTHIS YEAR, WITH THEVOTE BY MAIL PUSH,THEY ALREADY HAVE A12 PERCENTTURNOUT."I THINK IT'S KIND OFEXCITING AND THIS ISSOMETHINGDIFFERENT AND NEW.""THERE ARE VERYIMPORTANT RACES TOBE CONSIDERED INTHE PRIMARY."CHARLIE JOHNSON,POTT COUNTY GOPSTATEWIDE IT'S ASIMILAR STORY.THEY HAD A 10PERCENT TURNOUT IN2016, 14 PERCENTTURNOUT TWO YEARSLATER AND ISALREADY AT 16PERCENT ...WITH THENUMBER GOING UPDAILY."WE WERE REALLYPUSHING FOR PEOPLETO STAY HOME ANDSTAY SAFE.SO YEAH WE ARESEEING, WE'RE WELLOVER OUR NUMBERSTHAT WE'VE EVERSEEN IN A PRIMARY."EVERETTIN COUNCIL BLUFFSJON KIPPER 3NNIOWANS HAVEALREADY VOTED FORPRESIDENT, BUT WILLBE CHOOSINGCANDIDATES FOR THEUS SENATE AND THEUS HOUSE RACES, ALLFOUR OF WHICHCOULD BECOMPETITIVE COMENOVEMBER.