The Independent View: Linn County Iowa Sample Ballot Confusion

Thanks to Richard Winger of Ballot Access News for this post.

The Auditor’s Office last Month Mailed Sample Ballots to Linn County Residents with the hopes of Educating Voters and Boosting Absentee Ballot Requests ahead of the Nov. 6th General Election. Each Mailer also included an Absentee Ballot Request Form, a Return Envelope, and Information explaining the Sample Ballots.

Leaders of Iowa Linn County’s Three Major Political Parties are voicing their Concerns over the County Auditor’s Office’s recently Sample Ballots Mailing, which have confused Hundreds of Residents.

Linn County Democrats Chair Bret Nilles, Linn County GOP Chair Justin Wasson, and Linn County Libertarian Party Chair Matthew Cannon, noted “extreme concern” over Linn County Auditor Joel Miller’s response to the Sample Ballots.

The Ballots Mailed last month, had nearly 800 Residents Mistaken them for Actual Ballots, Filling out the Sample Ballots and Returning them to the County Office. The County has Mailed Information Back to a Majority of those Individuals. However, 67 of those Sample Ballots did not include a Return Address, making those Individuals Unreachable.

“The primary concern is that the county auditor’s office is not taking sufficient action to notify the public of this mistake, and, the major party leaders, call upon him to bring this issue to all residents of Linn County,” the Release states.

Miller on Monday Defended the Mailers, noting the included Sample Ballots have been widely Successful and the People who Returned the Sample Ballots is a Fraction of the 90,500 Households to receive them. “I think we did way, way more good than we did harm with this,” he said.

As of Monday Morning, the County had Issued 28,351 Absentee Ballots and Received 8,835 completed Absentee Ballots. Miller said more than 6,000 of those Requests came from the Mailer.

But Officials have said the word “Sample,” which was Printed in Large Capital Letters across each Sample Ballot, became Faded during Scanning and Printing, making it Difficult for some Recipients to see.

The County’s Political Party Chairs said Miller needs to do More to reach Voters who filled out the Sample ballots in Error.
“There is the very real issue of people not having their vote counted unless a more aggressive plan to notify voters is taken. If any of these voters are not made aware of this mistake, they are losing their right to participate in the election with an official ballot,” the Release states.

All Completed Sample Ballots have been Properly Destroyed, Officials with the Auditor’s Office have said. Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said his Biggest Concern was that the Ballots potentially Disenfranchise Voters, specifically those who did not provide Return Addresses. “The Linn County Auditor’s Office needs to do everything possible to inform the public of the issue regarding sample ballots and provide voters with the information they need to ensure their vote is counted at the Nov. 6 election,” Pate said in an email.

Miller, who said he is Not Aware of Any Residents Calling his Office claiming to have returned a Sample Ballot, argued that concern surrounding the Sample Ballots is a Political cause, namely by Nilles and County Supervisor Ben Rogers, his Challenger in the upcoming Election. “I have no doubt its politically motivated,” he said. “I’m concerned about those people, too, but there’s only so much I can do, and I think we’ve done and we’re doing what we need to do here.”

Democrat Rogers is facing Miller in the Nov. 6th General Election for the County’s New District 2 Seat. Former Democrat Miller is Running as an Independent. Rogers on Monday expressed Frustration with Political Accusations by Miller, who has butted heads with the Board of Supervisors in the past.

Republican Linn County Supervisor John Harris said Monday that the Board has asked for Miller or a Representative from his Office to Debrief Supervisors at their Wednesday Meeting about the Sample Ballots and the Office’s Response.