How to vote in Iowa's 2023 city and school elections, including early voting and absentee ballots

Iowa City Press-Citizen
·4 min read

Iowans will soon be able to vote for city and school elections, and can start requesting absentee ballots now.

Early and absentee voting begins Oct. 18. Polls will be open Nov. 7 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and you can find your precinct and polling location on the Secretary of State's website.

"City and school elected officials play a critical role in our day-to-day lives, so it’s vitally important for Iowans to make their voices heard in November’s elections,” Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said in a news release.

How do I register to vote in Iowa?

Iowans can check whether they are registered to vote in Iowa by going to the Iowa Secretary of State's website, sos.iowa.gov.

They also can register to vote online or download a voter registration form to send to their county auditor.

To register in Iowa you must:

  • Be a U.S. citizen

  • Be an Iowa resident

  • Be at least 17 years old as long as you will turn 18 on or before Election Day

  • Not be judged mentally incompetent to vote by a court

  • Not claim the right to vote in any other place

Iowa also has same-day voter registration, meaning Iowans can register when they go to the polls to vote, as long as they prove their identity and residency.

How do I get an absentee ballot in Iowa?

Any registered voter in Iowa can request an absentee ballot through their county auditor.

The absentee ballot request deadline is Oct. 23. Written applications for mailed absentee ballots must be received by a voter’s local county auditor’s office by 5 p.m.

In order to receive an absentee ballot, a registered voter must have:

  • Iowa residential address

  • Voter verification number (ID number)

  • Iowa driver's license, non-operator ID number or a voter PIN located on the their Iowa voter ID card

    • Voters may request an Iowa voter ID card by contacting their county auditor's office

  • The name or date of the election for which they are requesting an absentee ballot

How can I check on the status of my absentee ballot?

Iowans can track the status of their absentee ballot on the Secretary of State's website at sos.iowa.gov/elections/AbsenteeBallotStatus by entering their full name and date of birth.

Voters can return an absentee ballot through the mail, at a ballot drop box or by bringing the ballot to their county auditor's office in person.

Only the voter, an immediate family member or household member may return the ballot to the auditor's office or place it in the mail. There are exceptions for those with blindness or another disability; those voters may designate another registered voter as a "delivery agent" to return their ballot.

When do mail-in ballots need to be received?

Absentee ballots must be received in the county auditor's office by the time the polls close on Election Day at 8 p.m. to be eligible for counting.

Absentee ballots cannot be delivered to a polling place on Election Day. If you have not returned your absentee ballot on Election Day, you have the following options:

  • Deliver your voter absentee ballot to the county auditor's office before the polls close on Election Day.

  • Surrender your absentee ballot at the polls and vote a regular ballot.

  • Vote a provisional ballot at the polls if you cannot surrender your voted absentee ballot.

Do I have to show ID to vote in Iowa?

Registered Iowa voters must bring ID with them when they go to vote at 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, Iowans voting at the polls may need to prove their residencies as well. They can do this by bringing proof of residency if they are either voting in Iowa for the first time or if they've recently moved within the same county and have not updated their address with the auditor. If they have moved to a different county between elections, they will need to complete the Election Day registration process at their precincts.

If someone can't prove their identity with any of those documents, a registered voter in their precinct can attest to who the voter is. Both the voter and the attester will need to sign an oath.

Can people who have been convicted of felonies vote in Iowa?

In 2020, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed an executive order restoring voting rights to most people with felony convictions once they have completed their sentences, including any parole or probation.

Before the executive order, Iowa had been the last state in the nation to ban all people with felony convictions from voting, even after the completion of their sentences, unless they applied individually to the governor’s office to have their rights restored.

The executive order does not apply to those convicted of homicide offenses or certain serious sex offenses that carry a lifetime special sentence of supervision. Those people can still apply directly to the governor to have their rights restored.

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: How to vote in city and school elections in Iowa 2023