Polling site changes in effect for Election Day

Voters in the Newton city election are encouraged to check their polling place as locations have changed this year requiring residents to cast their votes in their respective wards.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday with four polling location, one for each ward. The change will give voters a central location within the wards and will help keep lines to a minimum. The four locations are different from the school board election earlier this year and the general election in 2016.

“You have to vote in the precinct that you live for your vote to count,” Jasper County Auditor Dennis Parrott said. “If voters happen to go to the wrong polling place, the workers will have the ability to look up the person’s name and direct them to the right polling location.”

Tina Mulgrew, deputy auditor in charge of elections, said signs will also be posted at locations where voting has previously taken place to direct voters to the correct polling place.

Voting locations are as follows: Ward 1: Park Centre, 500 First St. N.; Ward 2: St. Luke United Methodist Church, 501 E. 19th St N.; Ward 3: Jasper County Community Center, 2401 First Ave. E.; Ward 4: American Legion, 1101 W. Fourth St. S.

The location in Ward 4 changed after ward boundary lines were redrawn in 2011, moving from Newton City Hall to the American Legion.

“They had to get the voting place inside precinct boundaries so it moved to the American Legion,” Mulgrew said.

Mulgrew said another previous voting location, the old union hall which now houses the Jasper County Church of Christ, is not being used for this election by Newton voters.

To vote, there are no changes from years past, Parrott said. Same day registration is permitted with proper identification which includes a photo ID and a document with a current address.

Absentee ballots are currently available through the auditor’s office, which is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, with request forms for the ballots needing to be to the auditor by Friday. Absentee ballots can be turned into the office until Monday or need to be postmarked by Nov. 6.

Contact the auditor’s office with any questions regarding the election at 641-792-7016.

On the ballot for Newton city officials are incumbent Mike Hansen and opponent Ron Bookout for the position of mayor. The at-large city council seat has five candidates including current councilwoman Evelyn George, Garfield Berndt III, Lance C. Hawley, Matthew Holmes and Russell Terlouw. Dean Stonner is running unopposed for the Ward 2 seat and incumbent Steve Mullan is running uncontested for his Ward 4 council seat.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com