Information Regarding 44 Absentee Ballots Delivered to Johnson County Auditor by Iowa Democratic Party on November 12, 2002

On November 12, 2002, 44 Johnson County absentee ballots were discovered at Iowa Democratic Party headquarters in Des Moines.  These ballots were not delivered to our office in a timely manner and could not be counted.

On May 12, 2003, following completion of an investigation, County Attorney J. Patrick White announced that no criminal charges would be filed.

• News Release from Johnson County Attorney's Office, May 12, 2003
• Memo from Assistant County Attorney Janet Lyness to County Attorney J. Patrick White and Auditor Tom Slockett, May 6, 2003

Timeline of Events

The previously scheduled canvass of votes from the November 5th election began at 3 p.m.  When the Board of Supervisors (acting as ex officio board of canvassers) was notified of the 44 ballots, they recessed the canvass until November 14.  Shortly after the Board recessed, the Auditor was notified by the Attorney General's office that the 44 ballots could not legally be counted.

November 12 and 14, 2002 Canvass Minutes

The ballots were delivered to the Auditor's Office by 5 p.m. on November 12 by an Iowa Democratic Party staffer.  Of the 44 ballots, 42 were from registered Democrats and two were from voters registered with no party.

According to statements provided to the Auditor's Office by the Iowa Democratic Party and the Johnson County Democratic Party:

• The party contacted voters who had requested absentee ballots but not returned them by mail, offering to pick up the ballots at their homes.
• The ballots involved were collected on Monday, November 4.
• They were turned over to a Iowa Democratic Party staffer in Iowa City, who put them in a fireproof lockbox for safe-keeping.
• The staff person involved, who was the only one with a key to the lockbox, was transferred to a different office on Election Day and forgot to submit the ballots to the Johnson County Auditor.
• The box was delivered, still locked, from Johnson County on November 7, along with other office supplies.
• Iowa Democratic Party staff in Des Moines did not discover the ballots until the morning of November 12.

The ballots cannot legally be opened and remain sealed in our office.  They will be retained for 22 months after which they will be disposed of as prescribed by law, along with other materials from the 2002 election.

One contest on the ballot (Soil and Water Commissioner, two year term to fill vacancy) was determined by fewer than 44 votes.  (Several township contests were decided by fewer than 44 votes but none of these ballots were from those townships.)

List of voters affected

NOTE: While we share the concern voters may have for their privacy, voting records are public information.  The following list was previously published in a local newspaper, and is provided at the request of voters who wish to determine whether or not they were affected.

 

Bails, Pamela, Iowa City Carroll, Kathlyn, Iowa City Clarkson, Philip, Coralville Comstock, Laurie, Iowa City Conner, Jeffery, Coralville Deacon, Donald, Iowa City Eichhorn, Eric, Iowa City Greazel, Janet, Iowa City Greazel, William, Iowa City Greene, Troy, Coralville Huntley, Joan, Coralville Kehoe, Virginia, Iowa City Kesselring, Robert, Iowa City Kubik, Lisa, Iowa City Kutcher, James, Iowa City Lafita, Joseph, Iowa City Lafita, Vaishali, Iowa City Lang, Joe, Coralville Lang, Sheryl, Coralville Lowen, Sarah, Iowa City Ludvigson, Gregory, Iowa City Memler, Laura, Iowa City

Munch, Donald, Iowa City Parrott, Lois, Iowa City Pope, Catherine, Iowa City Rappoport, Clifford, Iowa City Raymer, Carol, Coralville ReedThureson, Michael, Coralville Rohrer, Judith, Iowa City Rumsey, Eric, Iowa City Schmalz, Mitchell, Iowa City Shuler, Ruth, Iowa City Smith, Marianne, Iowa City Snyder, Doug, North Liberty Steinbrech, Irene, Solon Steinbrech, Robert, Solon Tarnutzer, Elaine, Iowa City Thureson, Catherine, Coralville Vance, Jolene, Lone Tree Vance, Joshua, Lone Tree Wassom-Burns, Rhonda, Iowa City Williams, Terence, Coralville Williams, Yvette, Iowa City Yank, Theodore, Iowa City