Doreen Pliner
Auditor/Commissioner of Elections
701 Central Avenue
Fort Dodge, IA 50501
Phone: 515-573-7175
Fax: 515-574-3714
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm
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College Student Voters State Election Calendar
Upcoming Elections
October 5, 2021- Fort Dodge City Primary Election
November 2, 2021-Webster County City/School Election
Doreen Pliner
Webster County Auditor
September 3, 2021
Fort Dodge City Primary Election
October 5, 2021
7:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Voter Registration
Voter Registration will be open until Monday, September 20. After this time, you will need to register and vote at the Absentee Precinct or use Election Day Registration at the Polls on Election Day. Please visit our website at www.webstercountyia.gov to find out the different ways you can register and the requirements for Election Day Registration.
Absentee Ballots
Absentee Ballots will be available beginning Wednesday, September 15, for mail and in-person voting. Download the absentee ballot request form from our website at www.webstercountyia.gov.
The Auditor's Office can accept Absentee Request Forms now.
The last day an absentee ballot may be mailed to a voter for this election is Monday, September 20.
In-person absentee voting in the Webster County Courthouse closes at 4:30pm on Monday,
October 4. Requests for absentee ballots must be in writing and should be mailed or delivered to: Webster County Auditor, 701 Central Ave., Fort Dodge, IA
For more information on Absentee Voting please visit our website at www.webstercountyia.gov.
All absentee ballots must be received by 8:00pm on Election Day to be considered on time to be counted.
Extended Hours
Extended hours are available for voter registration and absentee voting in the Webster County Auditor's Office. In addition to regular hours of Monday through Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm, extended office hours will be as follows:
Monday, September 20 - 8am to 5pm
Friday, October 1 - 8am to 5pm
Tuesday, October 5 - Election Day; Polling Precincts and Auditor's Office open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
NEW IOWA ELECTION LAW Q & A
Q: When do the polls close for the General Election?
A: The polls close at 8:00 pm for ALL elections.
Q: How many days before an election do I need to register to vote if I’m not registered or if I moved, and I want my name to be on the voter register at the polls?
A: 15 days. This is Monday, October 18 for the November 2, 2021 City/School Election.
Q: May I still register to vote at the polls?
A: Yes. You will need both proof of identity (which everyone needs) AND proof of residence.
Q: Will the county auditor send absentee ballot request forms to all voters in the county?
A: No. State law now prohibits this. If you personally request an absentee ballot request form, your auditor will send you one.
Q: Will the Secretary of State’s Office send absentee ballot request forms to all voters in the state?
A: No, unless directed to do so by the state legislature during a public health disaster.
Q: Will ANYONE do large mailings of absentee ballot request forms to voters?
A: Probably, at least for General Elections. Political parties and other private organizations are not prohibited from sending them out.
Q: When is the first day that I may request an absentee ballot by mail?
A: 70 days before the election. This is Tuesday, August 24 for the November 2, 2021 City/School Election.
Q: After I send in my absentee ballot request form, when will the county auditor mail me my ballot?
A: The auditor will start mailing absentee ballots 20 days before the election. This is Wednesday, October 13 for the November 2, 2021 City/School Election.
Q: When is the first day I can vote absentee in person at the Auditor’s Office?
A: 20 days before the election. You should only vote at the office if you have not requested a ballot by mail. This is Wednesday, October 13 for the November 2, 2021 City/School Election.
Q: When is the last day that I can request an absentee ballot by mail?
A: The county auditor must receive your request form at least 15 days before the election. (For exceptions, see below.) This is Monday, October 18 for the November 2, 2021 City/School Election.
Q: What is the deadline for getting my absentee ballot back to the county auditor?
A: The county auditor must have your ballot by the close of the polls, which is 8:00 pm on election day.
Q: Won’t my ballot be counted as long as it is postmarked before election day?
A: NO. The law changed, and your ballot must be in the possession of the county auditor by 8:00 pm on election day.
Q: When is the last day to vote an absentee ballot in person at the auditor’s office?
A: The day before the election. (This didn’t change.) This is Monday, November 1 for the November 2, 2021 City/School Election.
Q: May I return someone else’s absentee ballot, or may someone else return my absentee ballot?
A: The only people who may return a voter’s absentee ballot (we’re talking about the BALLOT, NOT the ballot REQUEST FORM) are the voter, someone living in the voter’s household, an immediate family member, or, if the voter is blind or has another disability, a special delivery agent. (For exceptions and details, see below.)
Responsibilities
The County Auditor has a variety of functions and duties. The main functions are:
- Preparing and certifying tax levies
- Maintaining financial records
- Clerk to the Board of Supervisors
- Commissioner of Elections
- Keeping Real Estate Transfer Records
The Auditor calculates tax rates for all taxing entities in the County (schools, cities, townships, etc) by applying taxes levied by those entities to the valuation of each property as determined by the Assessor, and then prepares a tax list showing each taxpayer's share of the total. These figures are then certified to the County Treasurer's Office. Many of the records prepared in the Auditor's office are maintained permanently and are available for public use.
Financial duties of the auditor include the preparation of the County's budget from material submitted by its departments and other agencies and issuing payment of all services, materials, and payroll charged to the County. The Auditor then maintains a ledger for each department in the County throughout the fiscal year (July 1 through June 30). The Auditor also keeps and maintains permanent financial records for the County. Many financial reports are published for public information.
As clerk to the Board of Supervisors, the Auditor may perform a variety of duties depending on the size of the County. The Auditor may accept petitions, register complaints, or act on routine business in the absence of the Board. The Auditor often prepares Board meeting agendas, notifies the media, attends all Board meetings keeps and records Board meeting minutes, and publishes the proceedings in the official County newspapers. The Auditor initiates bid notices, solicits proposals for County contracts for materials and services, and receives contract proposals. Official papers dealing with Board of Supervisors' business are referenced and maintained by the Auditor.
As Commissioner of Elections, the Auditor is in charge of all regular and special elections in the County - federal, state, county, city, and school district. The Auditor prepares and supervises the printing of ballots and/or programming of voting machines as well as ordering all election supplies. The Auditor also conducts training for precinct election officials, and provides information to see that the election laws of Iowa are obeyed. This is an important trust placed in the Auditor's care. Assurance that the voting process is conducted according to the law is very important. The Auditor provides public information for, and conducts voter registration efforts in the County. The Auditor maintains all official voter registration records. After an election, the Auditor certifies the results to the state or to the political subdivision involved, and issues certificates of election to the proper persons. Some election records are maintained permanently, others for a specified period of time.
The County Auditor enters and maintains records of all real estate transfers in the count. The Auditor deeps the plat maps and transfer books currents, so that the public can examine the books to determine property ownership. The Auditor's office works closely with area realtors, attorneys, property owners and other individuals who deal with real estate transactions.
A registered voter may vote an absentee ballot at the Auditor's office, or may request in writing from that office that an absentee ballot be mailed.
Information concerning the ownership, valuation and taxation of property in the County is available from the Auditor's office.
A citizen may schedule and appointment with the Board of Supervisors by contacting the County Auditor.
Board of Supervisors is available for examination in the Auditor's office.
History of the Office of County AuditorThe office of County Auditor was created in 1870 as part of a revamping of county government. The duties of the office covered areas that had previously been given to the County Judge in 1851, in the first Code of Iowa, and then to the Clerk of Court in 1861, with the formation of the Board of Supervisors. The State Legislature added the duties of Commissioner of Elections in the early 1970's.
The County Auditor is an elected position, with a term of four years.