Starting this week, Iowans can start casting their ballot for this fall’s general election, which includes a slate of federal, state and local races. Iowa has some of the most competitive contests in the country this election cycle, including races for governor, a seat in the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives and more.
This year, in-person absentee voting starts on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at county auditor’s offices, county elections offices, and in some counties, additional early voting sites. It’s also the first day county auditors will start mailing out absentee ballots to voters who requested them.
Iowans can vote early in person or by mail ahead of Election Day or head to the polls on Nov. 3. Find voting information below to help make your plan to vote.
Jump to what you need to know on this page:
- How do I register to vote?
- Voting early in person
- Voting early by mail
- I forgot to mail my absentee ballot back in time. What do I do?
Voting resources:
- Find your county auditor
- Find your polling place
- Request your absentee ballot
- Track your absentee ballot
- Secretary of State voting resources
Key dates and deadlines
- Oct. 14 - In-person absentee voting starts
County auditors will also begin mailing out absentee ballots - Oct. 19 - Last day to submit absentee ballot requests
Requests must be received by county auditors by Monday, Oct. 19, no later than 5:00 p.m. - Nov. 2 - Final day for early in-person voting
- Nov. 3 - Election Day
Polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Absentee ballots must be received by 8 p.m. when polls close
How do I register to vote?
The voter preregistration deadline is Oct. 19, but Iowa allows same-day voter registration. Iowans can register to vote or make changes to their voter registration at their early voting site or at their polling place on Election Day.
Before Oct. 19, Iowans can register to vote online, mail in a voter registration form to their county auditor or register to vote at the county auditor's office. If you're registering in person when you go to vote, you may need to bring an additional proof of residence document if your ID does not include your current address.
Voter registration resources:
- Check to see if you’re registered to vote
- Update your voter registration if your name, address or party has changed
- You can also update your voter registration by sending a paper voter registration form to your county auditor
- If you haven’t registered yet and are planning to register on or before Oct. 19, you have a few options:
- Complete online voter registration
- Online registrations are due Oct. 19 at 11:59 p.m.
- Register in person at your county auditor’s office
- Paper registrations are due Oct. 19 at 5 p.m. at the county auditor’s office
- Mail your voter registration to your county auditor using these instructions
- Voter registrations postmarked on or before Oct. 19 are considered on time even if received after 5 p.m. on Oct. 19
- Complete online voter registration
How do I vote early in person?
Every county will have its county auditor’s office or county election office open for in-person absentee voting Oct. 14 - Nov. 3, Election Day.
Additional early voting locations may be available in your county. You can contact your county auditor if you have questions. Find your county auditor.
Iowa has a voter ID law. Bring one of these to vote.
- Iowa Driver’s License
- Iowa Non-Operator ID
- Iowa Voter Identification Card (must be signed; request one from your county auditor if you need it)
- Military ID or Veteran ID
- U.S. Passport
- Tribal ID Card/Document (must be signed, with photo)
Iowa Voter ID cards are provided automatically to each voter who doesn't have an Iowa Driver's License or non-operator ID. You can also request one through your county auditor's office.
If you don’t have one of the above forms of ID when you vote early in person or on Election Day, you can bring Election Day Registration documents. Due to a new law, voters can no longer have another voter registered in their precinct attest to their identity to fulfill the voter ID requirement when they don’t have the necessary forms of ID or documents.
Voters can still use an attester for registration purposes.
If you don’t have any of those with you, you can vote a provisional ballot and come back later to provide ID or necessary documents to have your ballot counted.
How do I vote by mail?
To vote by mail, you have to request a ballot. Your ballot request must be received by your county auditor by 5 pm on Monday, Oct. 19. Election officials recommend requesting a ballot far ahead of that deadline to allow enough time for the ballot to arrive in the mail.
County auditors will begin mailing requested absentee ballots Oct. 14. When you receive your ballot, follow all the instructions to make sure your vote is counted. Make sure to seal the outer envelope and sign it.
To return your absentee ballot, you can
- Bring your completed absentee ballot to your county auditor’s office or county elections office. Some counties have a ballot drop box.
- Mail it back to your county auditor.
Either way, the ballot must be received by your county auditor by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3, when polls close, in order to get counted.
The U.S. Postal Service recommends mailing your completed ballot at least a week before the deadline. You can also track your absentee ballot here.
If you live at a healthcare facility or are hospitalized and request an absentee ballot, the ballot will be brought to you, per Iowa law.
If you're unable to drop off your ballot in person, you can designate an immediate family member, another member of your household or, if you have a disability, another designated person, to return your ballot.
I forgot to mail my absentee ballot back in time. What do I do?
I filled out my absentee ballot and want to return it in person
Before and on Election Day, you can hand deliver the ballot to your county auditor's office or county elections office. You cannot return your filled out ballot to polling places on Election Day.
I possess my absentee ballot but want to vote in person on Election Day instead
Bring in and surrender your absentee ballot at your polling place on Election Day and you can vote a regular ballot instead.
I mailed in my ballot but it's not showing up on the ballot tracker.
Before Election Day, you can go to your county auditor’s office and fill out a provisional ballot. On Election Day, you will have to go to your polling place to cast a provisional ballot.
Other resources
Voting in person on Election Day, Nov. 3, is also an option. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
You can find sample ballots for your county by going to your county auditor's website or by visiting their office. IPR News also provides a sample ballot from Ballotpedia.
The Iowa Secretary of State's Office provides voting resources here.
