Iowa Voting Information

Iowa: Voter Guide

Voting Information // Iowa

Automatic voter registration

Online voter registration

Pre-registration before turning 18

Number of days prior to election a voter must be registered is 15 days or less

Online voter registration closes 15 days or less before Election Day

Registration drives

Same day registration offered in all elections

Same day registration located at polling place

Same day registration offered only during early voting

All mail voting

In-person early voting

Amount of early voting days is higher than 7

Election day is a state holiday

No-excuse mail voting

12+ hours of open polls

Paid time off work to vote

Time off work to vote

Felons can vote after incarceration with completion of sentence

Felons can vote immediately after incarceration

Felons can vote while incarcerated

No ID required to vote

Mental competency not required to register

Non-photo ID required to vote

Photo-ID required to vote

Upcoming Elections

There are no upcoming elections. Sign up for email or text notifications prior to important election dates.

Voting Qualifications

Not claim the right to vote in more than one place

Not currently judged by a court to be “incompetent to vote”

Not convicted of a felony (or have had your rights restored)

Resident of Iowa

United States Citizen

18+ Years of Age

Deadlines

In Person -

Election Day with proof of ID and residence

Mail -

Postmarked 15 days before Election Day

Online -

15 days before Election Day

In Person -

Absentee Ballot Request Form due 15 days before Election Day

Mail -

Absentee Ballot Request Form due 15 days before Election Day

In Person -

Voted ballot delivered by close of polls on Election Day

In Person -

Between 1 and 20 days before Election Day

More Information

Ballots are secret and voters have the right to vote for any candidate they want. The only time that party affiliation is important in terms of voting is in the case of a political party caucus or a primary election. In those cases, voters must be registered with the political party whose caucus or primary they wish to participate in. Voters have the right to change their affiliation and then participate in the other caucus or primary election by changing his or her political affiliation on the day of the caucus or primary election is held. Voters can only participate in one party's caucus or primary election each time those events take place.

Any registered Iowa voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail.

If you are voting in person in Iowa, you will be asked to show a valid form of ID before voting at the polls. An Iowa Voter Identification Card is provided automatically by the county auditor to each voter who does not have either an Iowa driver’s license or non-operator ID. Any voter may request an Iowa Voter ID Card by contacting their county auditor’s office.

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.