Iowa House 29 absentee ballot requests lead state

There have been more Democratic Party absentee ballot requests among Iowa House District 29 voters than in any other House district in Iowa, according to information released by the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office regarding the upcoming June 7 primary.

As of Monday night, District 29 Democrats had requested 878 absentee ballots. That’s more than any of the state’s other 99 districts, including all the districts in Des Moines — even District 41, where there were 865 requests.

The District 29 Democratic primary is a race between incumbent Rep. Dan Kelley and challenger Wes Breckenridge, who both live in Newton.

Jasper County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections Dennis Parrott said increased interest in contested primaries is typical. The District 29 House of Representatives seat and a Jasper County Board of Supervisors seat are both contested in the June 7 primary.

However, for a district that includes Jasper County — the 18th most populated county in Iowa at about 36,000 people — to be leading in absentee requests requires a great deal of public interest. As of Monday, Black Hawk County, which has a population about four times Jasper County, had 229 Democratic absentee ballots requested and 119 returned.

“There is, in some ways, no historical comparison for this race, because district lines have been redone since the last contested party primary on either side,” Parrott said. “But the House race is very contentious and having a challenged primary tends to drive voter turnout up.”

The numbers of requests and ballots submitted are far more than in recent elections, Parrott said. The District 29 Democratic nomination hasn’t been contested in a regular primary cycle since boundaries were re-drawn following the 2010 U.S. Census.

Breckenridge said it’s exciting to see a large number of absentee requests and encouraging early voting has been an important part of his campaign.

“It really shows the voters are engaged and want their voices heard,” Breckenridge said. “I believe it shows the desire for positive change and representation that listens and works for them. There are many issues facing our county and state and everyone must work together toward solutions.”

Kelley said he, too, has encouraged early voting. He said he’s been walking door to door throughout Jasper County, meeting with voters and discussing their ideas.

“Many have requested ballots by mail as a sure way to cast their vote for me so I can continue to fight for schools, healthcare, clean water, and local jobs,” Kelley said. “I’m proud to run a low-budget, grassroots campaign. I have the best volunteers in the county and state behind me. This is how winning elections is done right.”

The Iowa House District 29 Democratic race is certainly helping keep Parrott’s office busy. There were 941 requests for Democratic Party primary absentee ballots between the time the ballots were first available late last month and Wednesday afternoon.

There were only 58 requests for Republican ballots during that span in the county, and there were only 41 requests for Republican ballots among District 29 residents in Iowa. Patrick Payton is running unopposed for the GOP nomination and the chance to face either Kelley or Breckenridge in the general election.

There have also been 515 ballots already submitted, either by mail or through the early voting station set up at the auditor’s office, located on the second floor of the county courthouse. Democratic Party primary ballots account for 488 of that total.

“I’m sure that having two contested supervisors primaries is driving up our county’s total,” Parrott said.

Absentee ballots can be obtained by mail calling the office at 641-792-7016 and requesting an absentee ballots request form be mailed. The voter then completes the information on the request form and mails the ballot request form back to the auditor’s office — with a postmark date no later than June 6 — and an absentee ballot will be mailed to them.

Those wishing to vote by absentee ballot may do so personally in the auditor’s office of the Jasper County Courthouse in Newton. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

A registered voter must be registered as either a Democrat or a Republican and vote that specific party’s ballot for the primary election. Be sure to mark the party designation box on the absentee ballot request form.

It is not necessary to fill out a new registration form to switch parties or to switch from independent to either Democrat or Republican. This can be done on the absentee ballot request.

Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com