Early voting begins for Linn County election

CEDAR RAPIDS - Absentee voting has begun for a Linn County special election on how future members of the county's Board of Supervisors will be elected.

Starting today, Linn County residents can vote in-person at the Auditor's Office's Election Services department in the Jean Oxley Public Service Center, 935 Second St. SW in Cedar Rapids. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Absentee ballots also can be mailed to voters, who must return the ballot to the office by July 31.

On the ballot, residents will select from three options for a county representation plan, which dictates how voters select their county supervisors.

' Districts: Keep the current representation plan, where voters in each district vote for a supervisor who lives in that district.

' At-large/district: Voters countywide vote on supervisors who live within specific districts.

' At-large: Voters countywide vote on all three supervisors. Districts are done away with.

For the Aug. 1 election, Linn County Election Services has combined a few polling locations due to traditionally low voter turnout.

The following polling locations will combine services, but not change location:

' Cedar Rapids 7 and 15

' Cedar Rapids 43 and 44

' Hiawatha 3 and 3

' Monroe Township 1 and Hiawatha 4

In addition, Cedar Rapids 17 and 22 will combine and be relocated to First Lutheran Church, 1000 Third Ave. SE, while Clinton Township and Cedar Rapids 31 will combine and be relocated to Cedar Hills Community Church, 6455 E. Avenue NW.

The remaining of Linn County's 86 precincts will remain unchanged, with the above polling location combinations in place for future elections.

The representation plan selected in August must remain in place for at least six years before it can be changed again.

Last November, county residents voted to reduce the size of the Linn County Board of Supervisors from five members to three.

If the county maintains a representation plan that includes districts, a temporary redistricting committee will need to remap the county into three parcels of similar population.

In November 2018, Linn County voters will select three supervisors to take office Jan. 2, 2019.

l Comments: (319) 339-3175; mitchell.schmidt@thegazette.com