The state’s top election official highlighted National Voter Registration Day on Tuesday to encourage Iowans to register to vote and make a plan to vote.
Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said Iowa is one of the top states for voter turnout and registration.
“We’re really appealing to that base to make sure they’ve got their plan put together,” he said. “Have they updated that voter registration, because some people have moved? Do they know where their polling site is? Do they know how they want to vote this year?”
Iowa residents who are U.S. citizens and will be at least 18 years old on Election Day can register to vote in the November election. Most Iowans can register to vote online.
Pate said Iowa voters should also check their registration before going to vote.
“We don’t want you to have a bad experience on Election Day,” he said. “We want it to be nice, fun, enjoyable — part of your civic engagement. And the best way to do that is just double checking it and making sure it’s there.”
Iowans can vote early in person starting Oct. 16, by mail or at their polling place on Nov. 5.
Absentee ballots can be requested until Oct. 21, but Pate said Iowans who vote by mail should plan for possible mail delays by requesting and returning ballots as soon as possible.
County auditors will begin mailing ballots to voters on Oct. 16, which is also the day that early in-person voting begins. Polling places are open on Election Day, Nov. 5, from 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. Absentee ballots must be received by your county auditor by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Here’s where you can register to vote and update your registration:
Register online — if you have an Iowa driver’s license or state-issued ID.
OR register with a paper form — return the completed form to your county auditor.
Check your registration here.
Change your registration online — if your address or name has changed.
Qualifications to vote in the November 2024 election:
- Iowa resident
- U.S. citizen
- At least 18 years old on Election Day, Nov. 5
People judged mentally incompetent to vote by a court, people who claim the right to vote elsewhere and some people with felony convictions are not qualified to register to vote. But many Iowans with felony convictions who have completed their sentences are now eligible to vote. Find information about voting with a felony conviction here.
The deadline for registering online or through the mail is Oct. 21.
Iowans can also register to vote at their polling place on Election Day or at an early voting location. Those who choose that option may have to bring additional documents to prove their residency.
More information about voting in Iowa is available at voterready.iowa.gov.
