The primary election is coming up on June 5th, and absentee and early voting will begin soon in Dallas County.
Dallas County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections Julia Helm says absentee ballots will be available at her office starting May 7th. They can then be cast up until Monday, June 4th at 5 p.m. Due to new voter identification laws, however, Helm says there are extra steps people voting early will have to follow. “Anyone requesting an absentee ballot will be required to show their ID if they come to the office, and write on their request their driver’s license number. If you would like to get your ballot by mail, on the absentee ballot request form where it says ‘DL number,’ you will need to fill that out. And you can call our office if you have any questions.”
For people registering to vote at the polls on Election Day, they will also be required to show proof of residence. However, Helm emphasizes they will not turn anyone away at the polls if they don’t have all the required documentation. They will have to sign a declaration of eligibility form and sign an oath. She adds, Dallas County residents shouldn’t feel a need to vote before June 5th because they’re worried about not having enough time. “You certainly don’t have to vote early. All 34 precincts will be open in the County. We have driver’s license scanners, we’ll be scanning your ID right through. And if you don’t, it’s just one extra click and you have to sign one extra oath. So certainly go to the polls if you’d like, and certainly request an absentee ballot if you would prefer.”
Helm notes one additional change to absentee voting this year: all requests for absentee ballots to be mailed must be received by the Auditor’s Office by 5 p.m. on May 25th. She says that’s about a week earlier than in past years. For more information on early voting, stop into or call the Dallas County Auditor’s Office at 515-993-6914. You can pick up absentee ballots at the Auditor’s Office in Adel, or online by clicking the link below.