The Courier from Waterloo, Iowa • 14

NE IOWA WATERLOOCEDAR FALLS cbllRIER PAGEB4 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2004 Mew Hampton woman warns to check ballots By JESSICA MILLER Courier Staff Writer 3r everyone makes mistakes. "I'm pretty sure that that doesn't happen very often," she said. Area auditors' offices have been inundated with absentee ballot requests. Voter registrations surge around presidential elections, too. That makes long hours for some employees.

Small counties don't have the luxury of hiring specific, election staff, Fokkena said. i "We are no longer real estate and finance specialists. Everybody is an election specialist," Fokkena said. Jessica Miller can be contacted at (319)291-1581 orjessica.miller wcfcourier.com. i auditor Janice Sherman said her staff made at least three mistakes.

Voter registration information was incorrect on some returned ballot envelopes, so Sherman assumes the wrong ballot also is inside. Absentee ballot counters will disregarded township votes, but count federal, state and county races. "There is human error in everything," said Butler County Auditor Holly Fokkena. Nq one has reported a problem in Butler County, but Fokkena said only the sawiest voter would realize they have the wrong ballot Auditors and their staff strive for accuracy, Fokkena said, but guarantee privacy. Chickasaw County Bent out 1,844 for this election so far.

Four years ago, 1,646 people voted absentee. "I expect to exceed. 2,000 absentee this time," Babcock said With as many as 39 ballot styles to choose from in some counties, it's possible someone could grab the wrong one, area auditors said. The front side of ballots look the same. It's the backside, which lists township trustees, where differences occur.

Each ballot specifies its precinct and or township. Most voters don't know which township or precinct they live in, much less who their township trustee is, area auditors said. Auditor officials count ballot stacks, select ballots to send and count stacks again. If things don't add up they go back through envelopes searching for a misplaced ballot. But mistakes do happen.

In Floyd County, appointed A rural New Hampton woman warns residents to check their ballots twice. Barb Kellogg realized she received the wrong ballot while voting absentee with her husband. Kellogg lives in Washington township, but her ballot said Dayton. She called her parents, who live in New Hampton. Her mother received a ballot for a different precinct than her own.

With two out of four ballots wrong, Kellogg wonders how many other absentee voters received incorrect ballots. Chickasaw County Auditor Judy Babcock said she knows of one other mistake. If the 'voters hadn't realized it, "nobody would have ever found out," Babcock said. Once county auditors' offices receive the absentee ballots, employees remove name's and addresses from the ballot to r. ft --J RICK CHASE Courier Staff Photographer Barb Kellogg holds the wrong ballot that was sent to her by mistake.

She noticed the township trustee name didn't match the one on her husband's absentee ballot. mm Man wanted in eight states arrested in Iowa iTnrtin rini i i i i i i He is being held without bond pending a court appearance in 10 days. department. Steeves was driving from Denver to Minneapolis on Interstate 35 when he stopped for gas, Lubkeman said. A credit card Steeves used alerted authorities of his whereabouts.

Steeves gave several false names when his van was pulled over by authorities two miles north of the station, Lubkeman said. He charged Steeves with giving false information to police and as a fugitive from justice. He is wanted in states including Colorado, Michigan and Florida for charges including child prostitution, forgery and arson, Lubkeman said. "He did the wrong thing at the right time," Lubkeman said LATIMER (AP) A Colorado man who police say is wanted in as many as eight states on 16 warrants has been arrested in Iowa. Clayton Steeves, 42, of Castle Rock, also known as Delmart Vreeland, was arrested Wednesday about 7:20 p.m., said Chief Deputy Ken Lubkeman of the Franklin County sheriff's Girls night out TTJ PvP SUNDAY Le-d OCTOBER 2r kt The Blended 3pm.

5pm ORGAN 'Swotr," in Authentic 207 Franklin St. I (Corner of Franklin ECleCtIC MullenHwy. 63 Worship featuring PIIPE Rodney Barbour ITUMmlm Organist and Clinician r. M6DICALSPA1 "A 'IS I- 4 U- fc 1 pit' i "''u; HOLLY AARHUS Insider Editor Jocee Schuerman, left, of Cedar Falls, and Amy Abels of Waterloo, paint pottery at Pursuing Picasso Thursday during the Girls Night Out event, sponsored by Cedar Falls Community Main Street. REGIONAL BRIEFS $15.95 Pier Person Choose two of our mouth rrtL i-H watering selections: Queen Cut Prime Rib Crab.

Legs Jumbo Shrimp Salmon Half Rack of Ribs Walleye Half Qreek Marinated Chicken Includes: Choice of Potato Fresh Vegetable Full Salad Bar, Soup Dessert Bar University Plaza Cedar'Falls, IA GRUNDY Wellsburg Fire and Rescue will hold fall breakfast WELLSBURG Wellsburg Volunteer Fire and Rescue will hold a fall breakfast Saturday in the Wellsburg Memorial Building. The menu includes pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage and beverages. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children age 5 to 12. Children younger than 5 eat free. The crew will serve breakfast from 7 a.m.

to noon. Breakfast proceeds will go toward equipment purchases. Whooping cough case cancels classes in Traer TRAER North Tama Schools canceled classes and activities today after a student was diagnosed with whooping cough. Superintendent Tom McDermott said several people were in contact with the infected student They were told to see a doctor and receive antibiotics before returning to school. Whooping cough, or pertussis," begins with cold-like symptoms.

Within two weeks, violent coughing fits develop. The illness is spread by coughing, sneezing or sharing saliva and can be treated with antibiotics! BUTLER Independent Living center schedules workshop ALLISON The Black Hawk Center for Independent Living is scheduling a workshop in cooperation with the Department of Human Services. It is designed for disabled pepple but open to anyone. The training is titled, "Self-directed Services: Consumer Training," and is for disabled consumers who would like to learn more about hiring a personal assistant The training will be from 3 to 5 p.m. Monday at the Allison Public Library 412 Third St.

Refreshments will be served. For information or to make reservations, call Mike or Dave at (319) 291-7755. 2ZL2234W The Creat Why Shop Anywhere Else 366-5885 toll free 1-866-366-5885 600 First St. SE Cedar Rapids Mon. Thurs.

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Send the websites to all of your Catholic friends. For Archbishop Burke's Letter go to www.stlouisreview.comarticle.php?id705i. For Archbishop Nauman go to Google, search Missouri Catholic Conference Annual Assembly, Keynote Address. READ THEN VOTE YOUR CONSCIENCE Paid for Merle V. Ross 522 Hh Ave SE Dyersville, Iowa 52040 rGAKDCM CARRy-OUT tti I f) Order 510.00 or more and receive a FREE I HI order of crab rangoon.

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