State election officials say there’s a chance that mail-in ballots could delay the results in races that are close on November sixth.
Chad Olsen of the Iowa Secretary of State’s office says Iowa is on pace to set a new record for early voting — and most of those are coming in by mail. “Hopefully it goes one way or another. But it is really amazing that we start things off. Iowa’s first in the nation. But it may end up this year coming down to Iowa and one or two other states to decide who is president, and we may be one of the states to finish the race as opposed to just starting it,” Olsen says.

Under state law, county auditors must count absentee ballots they’ve received by 10 p-m on election night, but ballots that are postmarked by November fifth can be received up until noon on November 13th and still be counted. Olsen says races up and down the ballot could be impacted.  “In a case where we have an election — whether it’s for a county supervisor, or state rep or senator or even the race for president — where the race is very, very very close, that’s the situation where everybody will be holding their breath to see what happens the following week when those stragglers are counted,” according to Olsen.

But Olsen says past history does show that Iowans are generally good about turning in absentee ballots early and he’s hopeful the results will be clear on Election Night. About one half-million Iowans have already requested absentee ballots.

(Radio Iowa)

Republican Congressman Steve King and Democratic challenger Christie Vilsack debated for the sixth time last night (Thursday), both portraying themselves as in step with Iowa values, but taking one another to task on a host of issues. “I would like to know whether he believes that women in this community have the opportunity, have the right– the legal right — to go into the drug store down the street and fill a prescription for birth control pills…and get some of the new, long-acting, reversible contraceptives…and I don’t think he’s made his position clear on that,” Vilsack said.

King responded: “And I’d say that’s really brazen to make such of a misstatement here in front of everybody in Iowa and the country. That’s manufactured from the other side of the aisle. It’s a manufacture that even flows as far as the president of the United States in a tweet that his people put out earlier today.” King said he “accepts” a 1965 Supreme Court ruling that prohibits states from banning contraceptives, like “the pill.” “I think that you need to let the people of Iowa know whether you believe in the right to privacy,” Vilsack said. “…Do we have the right to privacy under the constitution to allow us to go into the local pharmacy and.purchase contraceptives?” King answered: “If you were listening, you heard me say that I accept the decision.”

Vilsack said: “I take that as a no.” King replied: “Well, you misunderstand it.” The two addressed a host of issues raised at previous debates, from inaction on the Farm Bill to U.S. tax policy. When it came to foreign policy, both expressed support for Israel’s stand against Iran’s nuclear ambitions and King said he’s like to see a new constitution in Afghanistan, to change the centralized government in the country which King argues is abusing its power.  “I’d like to look at offering them a new constitution that would represent the people in Afghanistan far better than it is today,” King said. Vilsack said the sooner the U.S. can withdraw troops from Afghanistan, the better. “‘And we need to build schools here,” she said. “And we need to built infrastructure here.”

Last night’s (Thursday’s) debate was held in the Santa Maria Winery in Carroll and broadcast live on Iowa Public Television and on C-SPAN. It will be rebroadcast tonight (Friday) at 7:30 on I-P-T-V. The two debate a seventh and final time on Tuesday, in Mason City.

(Radio Iowa)

The Clarinda Police Department reports a Clarinda man was arrested Monday, for allegedly sending threatening text messages to a 51-year old female. 24-year old Jeremiah Kalish faces a charge of  harassment in the first degree, after he allegedly threatened an unidentified woman with bodily injury. He was brought to the Page County Jail, and later posted bail in the amount of $2,000.

An accident Thursday morning about 2-miles east of Shenandoah caused $2,500 damage, but no on was injured. Sheriff Lyle Palmer said 24-year old Melissa Farnsworth, of Shenandoah, was traveling north on C Avenue, about a half-mile north of Highway 2, when she lost control of the 2003 Toyota she was driving due to the wet and soft gravel conditions. The woman over corrected, sending the car into the west ditch and through a fence before it came to rest on a grassy slope between the fence and a field. No charges were filed in connection with the accident, which happened at around 9-a.m., Thursday.

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer said Thursday that a Clarinda man reported to his office on Monday, the theft of several items from a farm building at 32-48 185th Street. Items stolen from the property, located about 4-miles northeast of Clarinda, had a combined value of just over $2,700. Among the items reported missing, was a homemade log splitter, a riding mower, a toolboxwith assorted wrenches, new metal fence posts, and old car batteries. The theft is believed to have occurred sometime after October 5th. The incident remains under investigation.