Tuesday is Primary Election Day in Johnson County. Here's how to vote and what's on the ballot

George Shillcock, Iowa City Press-Citizen
·5 min read

Tuesday is Election Day and the last chance to vote in the Republican and Democratic primaries for county, state and federal elections happening throughout Johnson County.

Voters who go to the polls will find a variety of choices on the ballot for U.S. Senate, Johnson County Supervisor, Iowa House of Representatives and Iowa Senate. While three Democrats vie to take on U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley in November, high turnover after redistricting and several retirements have left several open seats, leaving an opportunity for new leadership at all levels of government in the county.

The Press-Citizen staff will be out Tuesday covering the key races throughout the county. Look for results and stories on press-citizen.com.

Here's what you need to know before you head out to vote.

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A voting sign directs people towards Iowa City precinct 24 on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, at St. Patrick's Church in Iowa City.
A voting sign directs people towards Iowa City precinct 24 on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, at St. Patrick's Church in Iowa City.

Where and when can I vote?

Polls will be open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., but as long as you are in line before polls close, you will be able to vote. You can only vote in one party's primary races.

Voters are assigned a voting precinct when they register to vote based on where they live. To find your voting precinct, look at the Johnson County Auditor's interactive map, or go to the Iowa Secretary of State's website to look up voter registration details.

If a voter is not registered to vote on Election Day, they can still register at their polling place. You can check voter registration at the Iowa Secretary of State's website.

Voters that requested and still have their mailed absentee ballots must make sure it arrives at the Johnson County Auditor's Office before the polls close at 8 p.m. to ensure it is counted.

If you haven't sent it back by mail, it's likely too late to mail it in time to be counted.

There are two exceptions: votes by military and overseas citizens will be counted as long as their ballots arrive by noon on the Monday after the election. Votes by participants in the Safe at Home program for domestic abuse survivors will also count as long as they arrive by noon Monday, June 13.

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What should I bring with me to vote?

Voters need to bring a photo ID to the polls. Acceptable forms of identification are an Iowa driver's license or a non-operator ID, a U.S. passport or military ID, a veteran's ID, tribal ID or an Iowa voter ID card.

In some instances, you may need to prove your residency as well. Bring proof of residency if you are either voting in Iowa for the first time or if you've recently moved within the same county and have not updated your address with the auditor. If you have moved to a different county between elections, you will need to complete the election day registration day process at your precinct.

If someone can't prove their identity with any of those documents, a registered voter in their precinct can attest to who they are. Both will need to sign an oath. Falsely attesting or being attested for is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

More: Iowa election results from Tuesday primaries

If you are registering to vote at the polls, you will need to go to the correct polling place for your current address. At the polling place, you must prove both who you are and where you live, according to the Iowa Secretary of State's website.

Voters can wear campaign buttons and clothing, but they must leave the polling place as soon as they are done voting. Campaigning or electioneering of any kind in a polling place is illegal; loitering in a polling place while wearing political items is considered electioneering, according to the Iowa Secretary of State's website.

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What's on the ballot?

This year, voters in political party primaries will choose who appears on the ballot in the November General Election for several races at the county, state and federal levels of government.

At the federal level, voters will pick who runs for U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives. While both nominations for Iowa's 1st Congressional District remain uncontested in the primary, the Republican and Democratic nominations for U.S. Senate have multiple candidates.

At the state level, political parties will vote who runs for governor, treasurer, auditor, attorney general and secretary of state. The Democratic nomination for secretary of state is contested, while the Republican nomination for auditor is contested.

Four of the seats in Johnson County in the Iowa House of Representatives have no incumbent and have drawn large fields of candidates.

Democrats in Iowa City will have no shortage of choices for the two Iowa House seats and the single Iowa Senate seat that encompass the city. Republican voters in two districts that represent portions of rural Johnson County also get to vote for new representatives.

Voters can write-in candidates for any races in Johnson County in the space provided on the ballot.

During the past several months, reporters at the Press-Citizen have been writing about contested elections across Johnson County. Reporters covered debates, wrote profiles and explored issues surrounding these important races.

All of that coverage is available both online and in print to help give you the information you need before voting on or before June 7.

Here are links to the Press-Citizen's and Des Moines Register's Iowa election coverage:

Read coverage of the Iowa U.S. Senate race:

Read coverage of the Iowa 1st Congressional District race:

Read coverage of Iowa's statewide races:

Read coverage of the Johnson County Supervisor race:

Read coverage of the House District 89 race:

Read coverage of the House District 90 race:

Read more coverage of the House District 91 race:

Read more coverage of the House District 92 race:

Read more coverage of the Senate District 45 race:

More information on voting in Iowa is also available at voterready.iowa.gov.

George Shillcock is the Press-Citizen's local government and development reporter covering Iowa City and Johnson County. He can be reached at (515) 350-6307, GShillcock@press-citizen.com and on Twitter @ShillcockGeorge

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Here's what's on the ballot in Johnson County, Iowa primary elections