SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — The absentee voting period in Iowa is now open for November’s city-school elections.

It’s the first day that county auditors in Iowa can mail out absentee ballots to voters who request them. It’s also the first day people in the state can vote early in person at their county election office.

So far, more than 5,500 Iowans have already asked for an absentee ballot, according to the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office. The deadline to ask for a ballot is 5 p.m. on October 23rd.

Woodbury County Auditor Pat Gill told KCAU 9 why it matters to have options to vote.

“We want every opportunity for the folks who want to participate in this election to be able to do that,” Gill said. “And it’s especially difficult for the elderly and the disabled. Those are the folks we get a lot of request from, and we try to help them out as best we can.”

Absentee ballots can be mailed back to your auditor’s office or hand-delivered. Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on election day.

The city-school elections will be taking place on November 7. If you plan to vote on Election Day, you can find your precinct here.