DES MOINES, Iowa - A seniors' advocacy group is supporting absentee voting in Iowa. AARP Iowa is backing a campaign to mobilize older residents to vote absentee in the June 2nd primary election.
The group says it's encouraging older residents to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic and vote from "their kitchen table".
“Older Iowans represent a majority of voter turnout in every election,” said AARP Iowa State Director Brad Anderson. “We want to make sure they once again turnout in big numbers for the upcoming June 2nd Primary Election by voting safely from home.
AARP Iowa joined Secretary of State Paul Pate to encourage all older Iowans to vote absentee last month, and has invested in radio and digital ads promoting absentee voting.
Absentee ballot requests have quadrupled from previous elections. So far in 2020 there have been more than 216,000 absentee ballot requests, compared to roughly 55,000 in 2018 and 44,000 in 2016. Those numbers are compiled by the Iowa Secretary of State's office