Elections Don't Get Snow Days

We Iowans are about to be rudely reminded that it's still winter.

Strange things happen in winter. For example, the cable line to our house blew over in the wind so the Deeth Blog World News Center has been without internet or cable TV for a day. This explains the slow posting schedule, though for an emergency like this I can fire up the smart phone as a hot spot.

Other than that, we have the usual late starts and cancellations and fender benders and runs on essential groceries: TP, beer, or in our house milk and cat food.

But what happens if a blizzard hits on election day?

Answer: Too bad. It's election day. Iowa law has no provision for delaying or postponing an election.

Bob Dvorsky could tell you about that one. He had a winter special election in 1994, which fell on February 22. You know what else fell on February 22? 16 inches of snow.

Oh my lord, I really am an old man, talking about a horrible blizzard in the previous century. I'm so old I remember when this was a new song:



That was one of my last elections spent in a headquarters, and I went missing - this was when only Republicans could afford the newfangled brick sized cell phones - on an hour and a half excursion to take ONE voter to the polls. When I finally returned Sue Dvorsky actually told me she valued my life more than she valued Bob's victory (hard to believe, I know) so I was forbidden from going out again.

We actually lost on that election day. On that DAY. It was a milestone for us: the first election we ever won on early votes. Which is the moral of my story here. While you are out stocking up for the storm, stop by the auditor's office and get that vote in. Weird stuff happens so don't take the chance.

And get your Terry Dahms yard sign pounded into the ground before the snow flies, too, or else you'll have to put it in a drift or on a snowman. That's my other vivid memory of that 1994 election: Bob's dad Ernie Dvorsky, in his 80s, all over Coralville with a sledgehammer and wooden stakes and the yard signs. I'm still working off that list.

In other Dahms campaign news, the Iowa Democratic Party's new chair Tyler Olson will be making a visit for Terry on Sunday afternoon from 1:30 to 3 at Capanna Coffee in Coralville.