Vote Today: Decision on school elections rests with state office

It will be up to the Iowa Secretary of State's Office whether special elections in three Linn County school districts should be postponed today because of severe weather.

Communication between the school districts, the Linn County Elections Office and the Secretary of State's Office will be key to making an appropriate and timely decision, Tim Box, Linn County deputy commissioner of elections, said in an e-mail to school officials.

Box asked the districts to keep the elections office informed of conditions throughout the day. Information and concerns will be passed to the Secretary of State's Office.

Only the secretary of state can postpone an election because of a disaster or extreme weather.

If the decision is made to postpone the elections, each precinct must be notified to close the doors to the polling place and halt voting immediately, according to Iowa law. Ballots that have already been marked would be sealed in secure containers and counted after the election is completed.

By law, postponed elections must be held the following Tuesday.

Box said voting is expected to begin at 7 a.m., even if the polling place is in a school and classes are delayed. Polls are scheduled to close at 8 p.m.

“If a polling place is on property owned by your district, please keep the snow cleared to the best of your ability, even if your school is having a delayed start or will be closing early,” Box said in an e-mail to school officials.

Issues on the ballots are:

• The sale of $2,612,840 in general obligation bonds in the North-Linn district to help finance the construction of a new elementary school.
• A 67-cent per $1,000 valuation increase of the physical plant and equipment levy in the Linn-Mar district.
• Renewal of the College Community district's 67 cents per $1,000 valuation physical plant and equipment levy. Another ballot issue seeks approval of a revenue purpose statement for the statewide Secure an Advanced Vision for Education tax, which replaced the school infrastructure local-option sales tax.