OTTUMWA —
The June 5 primary election will feature a first that doesn’t directly involve any candidates or campaigners.
It’s the way citizens will vote. Wapello County Auditor Kelly Spurgeon said Thursday that, for the first time, some county voters will have the option of using an Iowa driver’s license or voter ID card to expedite the check-in process.
This election will be the first major one at which the alternative check-in procedure will be offered, the county auditor said.
Those voting sites that have the new equipment include Ottumwa Precinct 2 at North Court Baptist Church, 1411 N. Court St.; Ottumwa Precinct 3 at Great Prairie AEA, 2814 N. Court St.; Ottumwa Precinct 9 at Bible Baptist Church, 944 W. Williams St.; and Ottumwa Precinct 10 at Camelot Towers, 935 W. Main St.
“By the general election, all precincts will have the equipment,” Spurgeon said.
She also noted that in the seven other Iowa counties have piloted the scanning process over the past six months, voters in large numbers voluntarily chose to use their identification cards.
Bar-code scanners will be available to citizens who vote at precincts that have the Precinct Atlas Program for a faster and easier check-in procedure.
What will happen is the voter will type in his or her information, which is the first three letters of the voter’s name.
Spurgeon urged people to review the voter’s information on the screen before clicking on any name. The scanners read the bar code on the back of the voter’s driver’s license in order to search for and select the correct voter.
“The process is fast and accurate, but it’s the voter’s choice whether to use the driver’s license,” she said.
For voters who don’t have a driver’s license, or choose not to use it, the precinct official will type in the voter’s name the same way they have done in previous elections.
Spurgeon said she considers the change to be another important step in her goal of ensuring that every election in Wapello County is conducted in a safe, secure and efficient manner.
“The computer brings up everyone, so please look carefully before you click on a name,” she added.
Voters could also use the voter’s registration card’s bar code.
Another method for the voter is to bring a driver’s license and scan the bar code. Spurgeon noted using the license means the auditor’s computer system will look at all the information on the license.
Spurgeon said the system will also work with a non-driver ID card from the Iowa Department of Transportation or a voter ID card from the county auditor.
The scanning process was developed by Cerro Gordo County as a recent improvement to the Precinct Atlas software program, which has received two national awards and is now used in 56 Iowa counties.
Wapello County
Related Photos
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Wapello County Auditor Kelly Spurgeon demonstrates how a voter can use an Iowa’s driver’s license or a voter ID card to expedite the check-in process. The upcoming June 5 primary will be the first major election in which Wapello County uses the alternative check-in procedure. Cindy Toopes/The Courier
Election features new way to vote
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