Iowa update

Did I mention how well things appear to be going in Iowa so far?

Polk County Auditor Mike Mauro said 63,517 absentee ballots had been sent out by the county. On Friday, almost 60,000 ballots - including early voters who voted at the election office or at satellite offices around Des Moines - had been returned. That's more than the 38,571 absentee ballots counted in 2000.

Of the absentee voters, 59 percent were Democrats, 34 percent Republicans and 7 percent had no party affiliation.

Absentee ballots and those cast at satellite stations or auditors' offices are stored by each county and counted on Election Day. Absentee totals typically are among the first returns reported after the polls close.

"I haven't seen anything like this," Mauro said. "We've been very busy."

Woodbury County Auditor Pat Gill said 13,588 ballots had been distributed, and 10,943 had been returned, more than the 6,861 absentee ballots counted in 2000.

About 46 percent of the Woodbury absentee voters this year claimed to be Democrats, 31 percent Republican and 23 percent had no party affiliation.

"The political parties have become more sophisticated in getting their people to vote," Gill said.

Linn County had 36,167 ballots sent out and 30,126 returned, more than the 21,541 absentee ballots counted in 2000. Among the voters who made requests for ballots, 46 percent were registered Democrats, 28 percent had no party affiliation and 26 percent were Republicans.

Get Out the VOTE!