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Polk County auditor proposes moving election office to River Place to reduce lines, secure ballots
Summary
Polk County Auditor Jamie told county staff the elections office could relocate to River Place, a vacated county building formerly used by DHS, with a hoped-for August move; staff are working on retrofit plans, funding and communications, and will present options for the old downtown office to the board.
Polk County Auditor Jamie told a Board Staff meeting the county is pursuing a relocation of the county elections office from its downtown site to River Place, a county-owned building formerly used by the Department of Human Services, and hopes to complete the move by August to accommodate city and school elections.
Jamie said the River Place site offers more central access, substantially more parking and a fireproof room that would keep ballots secure. “This will actually have a better flow,” Jamie said, adding the site is on a bus line and would allow voters to wait inside rather than outdoors in long lines.
The auditor’s office and General Services personnel have surveyed and begun demolition work at River Place. Scott with General Services said the work so far is primarily demolition and light reconstruction—carpentry and drywall rather than heavy utility changes—and that a budget set aside from work at 120 Second Avenue should cover retrofit costs. Scott said the auditor and deputies are developing a floor plan; Jamie confirmed the layout would allow 10 voters to use voting stations simultaneously.
Jamie said early voting begins 20 days before an election, which would provide time to test the new site before larger elections. He also noted an outside drop box could be installed under current Iowa law; Jamie said current law allows an outside drop box, though the legislature could change those rules. Jamie also said the building has a secure, indoor drop box now and that any new outside drop box would include legally required cameras.
Staff described operational planning for election tasks at River Place: a secure locked area for voting machines, loading-dock access to move equipment, and two large conference rooms the auditor’s office plans to reserve for one- to two-week blocks to train more than 1,000 poll workers for major elections. Jamie said absentee ballots would be opened at the location so the process is self-contained and visible to media.
County staff said demolition had begun about a week prior to the meeting and that the retrofit should not be a lengthy construction project. The work team noted the plan emphasizes an open floor with a large front counter and about 10 voting stations rather than a full rebuild. General Services said it will coordinate further demolition and phased work while other projects (including a 1900 Carpenter project) continue.
Board staff asked about the fate of the current downtown election office. County officials said they are evaluating options, including sale or revitalization, and will draft options to bring back to the board for consideration.
Next steps listed in the discussion include finishing the floor plan with the auditor’s deputies, completing core demolition and buildout at River Place, using the funds set aside from 120 Second Avenue for retrofit costs, and carrying out a communications rollout so voters know the new location for early voting.
