What Iowa voters should know ahead of Election Day

Iowans have until  5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24 to request their absentee ballot in this year’s election. It’s also the last day to preregister to vote. But don’t worry: voters can register at their polling locations on Election Day, and Iowans looking to vote early can still head to their local county auditor’s office or satellite location to cast a ballot.

The shorter ballot request window is one of multiple changes to Iowa’s voting rules which Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law in recent years. That law also changed rules on how to return absentee ballots both in person and by mail, and the cutoff time for when ballots received will be counted.

Here’s what to know before Election Day.

Voter registration

To register to vote in Iowa, a person must be:

An Iowa resident.A U.S. citizen.18 years old by Election Day.

A voter cannot:

Be a convicted felon, unless their voting rights have been restored.Be judged mentally incompetent to vote by a court.Claim the right to vote in any other place.

Qualified voters can register to vote online, or download a registration form to return to their county auditor by 5 p.m., Oct. 24. Iowa also has same-day voter registration, allowing voters to register when they go to the polls on Election Day. Registration requires proof of ID and proof of residence. If an Iowan does not have these documents, another registered voter from the same precinct can attest for the person registering.

Iowans can check their voter registration status on the Iowa secretary of state’s website.

How to vote early

Iowans began early voting Oct. 19, 20 days before the election. This year has a shorter early voting window than previous years at 20 days. Previously, Iowa law allowed voters to cast their ballots starting 29 days before the election. Before Iowa’s 2017 Voter ID law was implemented, Iowans had 40 days of early voting.

Iowans have until Monday, Oct. 24, which is 15 days before the election – to request an absentee ballot. Ballot request forms can be downloaded from the Iowa Secretary of State’s website and returned in person by 5 p.m. to the voter’s local county auditor’s office.

In addition to absentee voting, Iowa offers early voting in person. Voters can head to their county auditor’s office to cast their ballots. Counties may have satellite voting locations if requested by petition; check with the auditor’s office for dates and times. Early voting locations will be open through 5 p.m. on Nov. 7, the day before Election Day.

Sending in your ballot

Voters have until 8 p.m. on Election Day to return their absentee ballot to their county auditor’s office. That deadline is when absentee ballots must arrive at the county auditor’s office in order to count. The cutoff is another piece of the new law, changing Iowa’s previous practice allowing votes to count as long as they arrived before noon on the Monday following the election.

There are also new rules on who is allowed to return a voter’s completed ballot. Ballots can be returned by mail or in person, or deposited in their county’s ballot drop box. But only the voter, a housemate or immediate family member or caregiver can send in a ballot by mail or deliver it directly to the county auditor’s office. People with disabilities can designate someone else to return their ballot for them, but must follow instructions included with their mailed ballot.

Iowans can check the status of their absentee ballot on the Iowa Secretary of State’s website.

Those planning to cast their ballot on Election Day should know that voting locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 8. Polls close an hour earlier than in the previous general election because of new laws.

Voter identification requirements

Since 2017, Iowa has required voters to show identification in order to cast their ballot in early voting and on Election Day. There are multiple forms of identification Iowans can bring with them to verify their identity, including:

Iowa driver’s licenseIowa non-operator IDOut-of-state driver’s license or non-operator IDU.S. passportU.S. military or veteran IDID card issued by employerStudent ID issued by Iowa high school or collegeTribal ID card/document

Registered voters still must bring a form of ID to their polling location to participate. If a person does not have any of these forms of ID, they can still cast a ballot on Election Day by having another registered voter in the precinct attest for their identity. They can also bring Election Day registration documents to confirm their identity.

If a person can’t find the necessary ID or an attester, the voter can cast a provisional ballot. People who cast provisional ballots can return with a form of identification to have their vote counted up until the time of county canvass of votes, which is the Monday after the election, Nov. 14.

Who’s on the ballot?

There are two federal races and six statewide races on Iowa ballots in the midterms, in addition to state legislative, county and judicial elections. Learn more about the candidates in the state’s major races here.

There’s also a state constitutional amendment Iowa voters will weigh in on: the “Keep and Bear Arms Amendment.” The proposed amendment would hold laws restricting the right to firearms to strict scrutiny, a higher legal standard. Any laws passed to restrict the sale, use and possession of firearms would need to fit a “compelling governmental interest” or be struck down.

Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com. Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on Facebook and Twitter.