Voting in the 2022 Johnson County primary election? Here's what's on the ballot, how to vote early

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

Johnson County voters will pick nominees for state, federal and county offices over the next few weeks as polls open for the 2022 primary elections.

Several open state legislative seats with competitive primaries are the highlights on the ballot, but Democratic and Republican voters will also have choices in the race for Johnson County Supervisor, U.S. senator, state auditor and secretary of state.

Here is a guide to this year's primary elections explaining how to register to vote; where to find your voting precinct; how to vote early or by mail; and what voters can expect to see on their ballot on or before June 7.

A sign at Iowa City Precinct 18 is seen on Election Day for city and school board elections, Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021, at Longfellow Elementary School in Iowa City, Iowa.
A sign at Iowa City Precinct 18 is seen on Election Day for city and school board elections, Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021, at Longfellow Elementary School in Iowa City, Iowa.

More: Johnson County races collect $700,000 ahead of June 7 primary. Here's how much candidates raised

How do I register to vote?

May 23 is the last day to register to vote before Primary Election Day on June 7. Missing this deadline does not bar you from voting, but you will have to clear additional hurdles at the ballot box to prove identification and residency to register June 7.

To qualify to register to vote in Iowa, you must be a U.S. citizen, an Iowa resident, and at least 17 years old. A person may vote if they will be 18 years old on or before Election Day, according to the Iowa Secretary of State's website.

A person is not qualified to vote in Iowa if they are a convicted felon, unless their voting rights have been restored. A person could also not be qualified if they are judged mentally incompetent to vote by a court; or if they claim the right to vote in any other location.

There are multiple options for people who want to register to vote in Iowa, including online. The Iowa Secretary of State's website allows you to fill out an online voter registration application or download a voter registration form to print out and return to the county auditor's office.

To register, a potential voter needs to fill out the following information on the registration form:

  • Full name, sex and date of birth.

  • Address where you live and address where you receive mail if it is different.

  • An ID number from an Iowa driver’s license, a nonoperator ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number.

  • Previous voter registration information.

  • Political affiliation (No Party, Democratic, Republican, Green, Libertarian).

  • A signature and the date of the signature.

If someone is not registered to vote on Election Day, they can still cast a ballot. To do so, they first must go to the correct polling place for their current address on Election Day. At the polling place, they must prove both identification and place of residence with a valid Iowa driver’s license with current address printed on it, or other documents.

There are 87,600 active registered voters in Johnson County as of May 2.

More: Iowa's primary election ballots are almost set. Here are 4 things to watch in the 2022 election

How do I vote early in-person or absentee by mail?

Voters in Johnson County were able to start voting early in-person on Wednesday, and the deadline to request an absentee ballot to vote by mail is Monday, May 23. To vote early in-person, a voter can go to the Johnson County auditor's office, or to a satellite voting location.

In-person early voting in the auditor's office and drive-up early voting at the parking ramp north of the Johnson County Health and Human Services Building, 855 S. Dubuque St. at the entrance off of Clinton Street, will be open on the following days and times:

  • Weekdays, starting May 18 through June 6 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. This option will be closed on May 30 for Memorial Day.

  • June 4, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

  • June 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

You can track the status of your absentee ballot on the secretary of state's website at sos.iowa.gov/elections/absenteeballotstatus.

According to the county auditor's website, the following sites are satellite early voting locations:

  • June 4 at the Coralville Public Library at 1401 5th St. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

  • June 4 at the North Liberty Community Library at 520 W. Cherry St. from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

  • June 5 at Dream City at 611 Southgate Ave. in Iowa City from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

  • June 5 at the Iowa City Public Library at 123 S. Linn St. from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

To request an absentee ballot that can either be mailed or returned in-person, a voter must fill out an absentee ballot request form, which is available on the auditor's website. The form requires much of the same identification information needed to apply for registration, but also requires the voter to specify the name or date of the election for which they are requesting an absentee ballot.

The absentee ballot request must be submitted by 5  p.m. May 23. The actual ballot will be mailed soon after. The ballot must be returned to the auditor's office either by mail or in-person by the time polls close on Election Day at 8 p.m.

Where do I vote on Election Day and what do I need to bring with me?

Voters are each assigned a voting precinct when they register that is often at a local community gathering space like a church or fire station. You can find out what precinct you are assigned to by looking up your voter registration online at the Iowa Secretary of State's website or the Johnson County Auditor's website.

Voting precincts have changed since the last election due to the re-precincting process after the 2020 U.S. Census.

To show up in person to vote, you'll need to bring proof of identification, such as an Iowa driver’s license or non-operator ID, U.S. passport, U.S. military ID or veteran’s ID, tribal ID or document, or Iowa voter ID card.

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.

Where you are registered to vote also determines what races you can vote for depending on the city, school district, county, state and federal legislative district you live in.

What races and issues are on the ballot? Which are contested?

There are several key races on the ballot this year for both major political parties that will decide who ultimately runs in the general election in November. Many races have only one candidate running, while others in Johnson County have up to six running for one seat.

Four seats in the Iowa House of Representatives, one seat in the Iowa Senate and the Johnson County Supervisor race are some of the local races that have multiple candidates running for a party's nomination.

You can look up a sample ballot by using a tool on the Johnson County Auditor's website, which will tell you your polling place and what races will be on your ballot.

Some of the contested local races include:

  • The Johnson County Board of Supervisors, which has three Democrats and two Republicans running for two seats.

  • Iowa House District 90, covering northern Iowa City, has three Democrats running for one seat. Iowa House District 89, covering southern Iowa City, has two Democrats running for one seat.

  • Iowa Senate District 45 has two Democrats running for one seat. Iowa House District 91, in Johnson County and Iowa County, has six Republicans and one Democrat running for one seat. Iowa House District 92, in Johnson County and Washington County, has two Republicans and one Democrat running for one seat.

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

Read coverage of the Johnson County Supervisor race:

Read coverage of the Iowa House District 89 race:

Read coverage of the Iowa House District 90 race:

Read coverage of the Iowa House District 91 race:

Read coverage of the Iowa House District 92 race:

Read more coverage of the Iowa Senate District 45 race:

Other races for Iowa House Districts 86 and 85, Senate Districts 46 and 43, Iowa treasurer, Iowa governor, U.S. House of Representatives, secretary of agriculture and attorney general remain uncontested in the primary.

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

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: Johnson County 2022 primary elections: What to know before voting