Montgomery County – As concerns continue to grow and more Iowans are becoming infected, the Montgomery County Auditor’s office is planning for the Primary Election on June 2. Montgomery County Auditor & Commissioner of Elections, Stephanie Burk said “We are confronting COVID-19 head-on with a challenge that requires us to make some changes. Some polling places in Montgomery County will be combined in effort to reduce exposure to our poll workers. Many of our loyal poll workers that have worked for many years fall under the high-risk category and we need to protect them. We will be cutting polling locations from seven to two. By doing this, it will reduce the workers,” Burke explained.

The Auditor’s office will be following guidelines to ensure that voting machines are clean. In addition, the poll workers will be provided with masks, gloves and shields. Voters will each be given a new pen to use. “By doing these practices, we will promote the health and safety of the poll workers needed to run Montgomery County’s elections,” Burke said.  Those voters that usually vote at the Elliott Community Building, Red Oak First Christian Church and the Red Oak Fire Station will be voting at the Red Oak Gold Fair Building. Any voters that vote at the Grant Fire Station and the Villisca Community Room will now be voting at the Stanton Fire Station. Burke said the inconvenience is expected to be minor and emphasized this is a temporary move just for this Primary Election due to COVID-19.

Auditor Burke continues to encourage citizens to vote by mail. The Montgomery County Auditor’s office recently mailed absentee ballot request forms to every registered voter in Montgomery County. “We have had positive feedback and have already received hundreds of requests to be processed,” she said. The Iowa Secretary of State will be following up with an additional absentee request form. They will be mailing a request form to every active registered voter in the state as well. “If you already mailed a request form to the Auditor’s office, you do not need to submit another one. Your request will already be processed.” Burke explained. She also assured that only one ballot will be mailed to the voter. Absentee voting has security measures that are followed. Those request forms sent by the Secretary of State will be mailed to the voter at the end of the month.

“We are going to try to comply with all the recommendations from the Iowa Department of Public Health while providing in-person absentee voting. We want to minimize public health risks to voters and those election and courthouse staff.” Burke said. If the courthouse is closed to the public, curbside voting will be offered in the courthouse parking lot and by appointment only. If the courthouse is open to the public, voters will vote absentee in the courthouse as normal and curbside voting will still be available. In-person voting will begin on May 4.

For more information about the 2020 Primary Election or absentee voting, please call the Auditor’s office at 6235127. You can also follow Montgomery County Auditor & Elections Facebook page and at www.montgomerycountyiowa.com.