The 29-day “early voting” period in Iowa starts today. If you are planning to mail your absentee ballot, election officials caution against procrastinating and getting it mailed by October 26th — a week before Election Day. Iowans also may go into their county auditor’s office and cast an absentee ballot there. County auditors have drop boxes for ballots, too, but new policy from the secretary of state moved all drop boxes onto county property, near auditors’ offices.

On Friday, the state’s Voter Registration Commission approved new voter REGISTRATION forms that make clear thousands of Iowans with past felony convictions are now eligible to vote.  The governor’s executive order on felon voting rights was issued in August.