IOWA — Wednesday is the first day that Iowans can vote early in the 2024 election. At 8:00 a.m. County Auditor offices across the state opened for early voters.

County Auditor’s offices will also send out absentee ballots Wednesday to voters who requested them.

The Polk County Auditor’s office will send out 34,000 absentee ballots. The absentee ballots will need to be returned to the office by 8 p.m. on election day, November 5.

Jamie Fitzgerald, the Polk County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections said that it’s important to give the post office enough time to deliver your ballot.

“It all depends on where you live. In Polk County, the U.S. Postal Service is a day or two. In other parts of the state, I can’t speak to because I don’t live there. But I’m hearing from the local county auditors that they’re a little bit more than two days. So today is the day you need to make that plan,” Fitzgerald said.

You can check the status of your absentee ballot on the Secretary of State’s website.

To learn more about voting early, by absentee ballot, or in person on election day, visit voterready.iowa.gov.