Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz is reminding Iowa voters that early voting for the June 3, 2014 primary election starts today (Thursday, April 24th). To vote in Iowa, eligible voters can:

· Cast a ballot early by filling out an absentee ballot in-person at their county auditor’s office or at possible satellite locations as designated by the county auditor starting Thursday, April 24 through Monday, June 2.

· Request an absentee ballot by mail.

· Vote at their designated precinct polling place on Election Day.

Registering to vote is easy. Simply download the State of Iowa Official Voter Registration Form from www.sos.iowa.gov and return it to your local county auditor’s office or visit your local county auditor’s office to fill out a paper copy.

Absentee ballots received by the county auditor before 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 3 are eligible for counting. Absentee ballots that are returned by mail and received after the polls close must have a postmark of Monday, June 2 or earlier to be considered for counting.

The Iowa Secretary of State’s office offers a comprehensive app called Iowa SOS available for both Android and Apple devices to ensure voting resources are at voter’s fingertips. From the Iowa SOS app, Iowans can do the following:

Check voter registration information
Fill out the State of Iowa Official Voter Registration Form
Find the correct polling place for the primary election
Request an absentee ballot
Track an absentee ballot
Set email or calendar reminders for upcoming elections
Report voter fraud
Contact local county auditors
Contact the Iowa Secretary of State’s office

Iowa has an open U-S Senate seat for the first time since 1974 after Democrat Tom Harkin announced he would not run again. Six Republicans are competing in the primary for a chance to run for that seat. There are three Republicans and five Democrats running to replace Congressman Bruce Braley, who is the only Democrat running for the U-S Senate seat. Six Republican candidates are vying for the Third District Congressional seat being left open by the retirement of Tom Latham.