How to vote in my state
Iowa
Last updated: September 13, 2023
Upcoming Election Dates and Registration Deadlines
October 10, 2023
Iowa City Primary Elections
Voter Registration Deadline
- Postmarked: September 25, 2023
- In-person request by: October 10, 2023
- Online request by: September 25, 2023
Absentee (Mail-in) Ballot Request Deadline
- Received: September 25, 2023
Completed Absentee (Mail-in) Ballot Return Deadline
- Postmarked: October 10, 2023
- In-person received: October 10, 2023 at 8 PM CST.
- Post received: October 10, 2023
Early Voting: September 20, 2023 – October 9, 2023
November 7, 2023
Iowa General Election
Voter Registration Deadline
- Postmarked: October 23, 2023
- In-person request by: November 7, 2023
- Online request by: October 23, 2023
Absentee (Mail-in) Ballot Request Deadline
- Received: October 23, 2023 at 5pm CST
Completed Absentee (Mail-in) Ballot Return Deadline
- Postmarked: November 7, 2023
- In-person received: November 7, 2023 at 8 PM CST.
- Post received: November 7, 2023
Early Voting: Starts October 18, 2023 – November 6, 2023
Helpful Resources
Register
to vote
Check if you are registered
What's on your
ballot
Absentee (Mail-in) Voting
No excuse is needed to vote absentee in Iowa.
Registered voters may request an absentee ballot to be sent to them by mail. You must complete an absentee ballot request form and return the original, signed form to your county auditor. The request form does not need to be witnessed or notarized. A written application for a mailed absentee ballot must be received by the voter’s County Auditor no later than 5:00 p.m. 15 days before the election.
Someone who will be 18 years old by the date of an upcoming election may request an absentee ballot if he or she is pre-registered to vote.
In order to receive an absentee ballot, a registered voter MUST provide the following necessary information:
- Name
- Date of birth
- Iowa residential address
- Voter Verification Number (ID Number)
- Iowa Driver’s License or Non-Operator ID Number OR
- Four digit Voter PIN located on the voter’s Iowa Voter ID Card
- Any voter may request an Iowa Voter ID Card by contacting their County Auditor’s Office
- The name OR date of the election for which you are requesting an absentee ballot
- Party affiliation – only required for Primary Elections, which are held in even numbered years
- Signature
See details of absentee voting and download the application here
Early Voting
You may vote early (vote absentee in-person) in your county auditor’s office before Election Day. For primary and general elections, absentee ballots will be available no earlier than 20 days at the county auditors’ offices. For all other elections, ballots will be available as soon as they are ready, but not sooner than 20 days before an election.
In-person absentee voting is not available on election day at the auditor’s office unless the polls open at noon. If the polls open at noon, you may cast an absentee ballot at the county auditor’s office from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on election day.
What to Expect
on Election Day
On Election Day, polls are open from 7 AM to 8 PM.
Voter ID Requirements
- Iowa Voter Identification Card
- Iowa Driver’s License
- Iowa Non-Operator ID
- U.S. Military ID or Veteran ID
- U.S. Passport
- Tribal ID Card/Document
A voter without one of the above forms of ID may have the voter’s identity attested to by another registered voter in the precinct or may prove identity and residence using Election Day Registration documents.
Language Access
Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act requires certain jurisdictions to provide in-language voting materials in areas with a significant number of limited English proficient voters.
Section 208
Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act states that, “Any voter who requires assistance to vote by reason of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write may be given assistance by a person of the voter’s choice, other than the voter’s employer or agent of the employer or office or agent of the voter’s union.”
It is your right to bring your own interpreter to the polls, if you so choose.
Have questions or need help voting?
Call 1-888-API-VOTE (1-888-274-8683).
Bilingual assistance is available in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Urdu, Hindi, and Bengali. Click here for more information.
