Five MILLION Americans have already voted in this year’s election. The latest data shows more than a quarter of a million Iowans had voted by absentee ballot by the close of business on Friday. Secretary of State Paul Pate says the pace is “not as high” as it was in the last presidential election year. “The political parties drive that because of what they do,” Pate says. “I think the Democratic Party has done probably at least three, maybe four mailings. The Republicans, I know, have done one.” Linn County Auditor Joel Miller says the absentee ballots that are being mailed to county auditors’ offices are placed in secure storage. “We count them on Election Day,” Miller says. “They are the first results that are reported at 9 p.m. on Election Night.”

In 2012, 43 percent of the ballots cast in Iowa were “early” votes cast BEFORE Election Day. The state’s top election official is predicting around 40 percent of the votes in Iowa for the 2016 General Election will be cast before November 8th. “It is a little slower than what we had four years ago,” Pate says. “…Let’s watch this week’s numbers.”

Secretary of State Pate and the Linn County auditor made their comments Friday during an appearance on Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press” program.

(Radio Iowa)