Every Saturday during the month of October anyone can cast their absentee ballot in person at the Ames Public Library, opposed to mailing it in or going to the polls on Election Day. 

An alternative option, for students or people who live closer to the Iowa State campus, is going to the Scheman Building on Oct. 12, 13, 19 and 21. 

Voters should be aware some sort of identity verification is required. One example of this would be a valid driver’s license. Voters from out of state should bring their driver’s license as well as a proof of address. For current students, one way to find proof of address is through AccessPlus. 

This year may look quite a bit different due to social distancing regulations. According to Lucy Martin, the Story County auditor, some of the changes this year is that all people must be 6 feet apart, they must wear a mask and there is a limit on how many people can be in the room at once. Due to this, longer lines are expected. Not only can a person cast their absentee ballot at this event but they can also register to vote, drop off mail-in forms, return absentee ballots and so on. 

All of these events are run by the Story County Auditor’s office and Story County Auditor Lucy Martin. She, along with the rest of the auditor’s office, wants to make this election season as easy as possible. According to Martin, the people at the auditor’s office understand things come up on Election Day that can prevent someone from voting. So by hosting these events, they are trying to allow each and every person to vote with relative ease. Plus, they are making it more accessible to everyone by holding events in the county’s most populated area. 

When asked about the importance of voting Martin said, “If you want to be a part of society, this is the best way to do it.”