Early voting is now open in the state of Iowa! Check out the below for our TLDR summaries of how to register to vote, where to go, and when to do it. 

Written by Sidney Pezley, DSMG Contributor

Registering To Vote

If you’ve…

  • moved since the last election
  • changed your name
  • or just need to register to vote

You can do that all online via the Iowa Secretary of State’s website. It’s SO easy. You can submit online or download and mail in a form (love to have options!) to get registered, update your registration, or update your party affiliation.

Register to vote.
You can register on Election Day, if needed.

If you aren’t interested in picking a party affiliation, you don’t need to! Iowa does not require you to select a party to participate in the General Election. You need a government issued ID to register, most commonly this is a drivers’ license but other government issued documents will also work. That website is HERE.

Similarly, if you want to verify you are registered, you can check that online as well, here’s the link for ya. Iowa does allow onsite, same day registration so if you forget no worries, just take that government issued ID with you and you’re golden. 

Verify voter registration

Early Voting 

If you want a similar experience to voting on Election Day but can’t/don’t want to vote on Tuesday, November 5, I have some good news for you! The State of Iowa allows for early voting from October 16 through November 4. This means you can vote in-person at your County Auditor’s office Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. And Saturday early voting is available the last 2 Saturdays before the election!

Find your county auditor location.
Polk County Auditor Office: 
120 2nd Avenue
Des Moines IA 50309

There is a Request form used in Iowa for In-Person Absentee “Early” Voting that you’ll need to fill out on-site AND you will need to show a government issued ID. 

TLDR: Show up at County Auditor any day after October 16 and bring your ID to vote!

Absentee Voting

Not an Election Day voter? That’s totally cool, you’re actually every campaign worker’s dream. The campaigns being run across the state absolutely want you to vote early so they can check you off the list of folks to remind to show up on Election Day.

If you’re going to vote via Absentee Ballot please note the timelines, these are crucial for your ballot to be counted. The important dates you need to know are: 

  • Monday, October 21 – Deadline to Request Absentee Ballot to be Mailed – this is the deadline to request an absentee ballot be mailed TO you, not the deadline for you to mail it BACK to the government.

  • Monday, November 4 – Absentee Ballot In-Person Deadline – this is the last day you can submit an absentee ballot in-person to your auditor, you cannot deliver your absentee ballot on Election Day – if you do that’s considered “surrendering” your ballot and you will need to vote using a regular ballot. 

  • Tuesday, November 5 – ELECTION DAY and also the Absentee Ballot Receipt via Mail Deadline- if you mailed your Absentee Ballot it absolutely must be delivered by this day, NOTE: The ballot being postmarked prior to this day does not count, it must be in-hand at your County Auditor. 

The government takes these dates pretty seriously, you should too. Before returning your ballot the absolute most important thing to do, aside from actually voting, is sign and date the ballot. If they aren’t signed or aren’t dated, they do not count. 

Request absentee ballot in iowa.

You can request an absentee ballot online or in-person at your County Auditor’s office, more info on those locations and documents here. Are you a little nervous or over protective of your ballot? Drop it off in-person at your local County Auditor’s office or track it online here. 

Check absentee ballot status.

Election Day! 🗳️

Election day is Tuesday, November 5, 2024! You must vote at YOUR precinct polling location, this is based on where you live and you can find that specific place here.

Your voting location is NOT always the same so be sure to check! Polls are open 7am- 8pm, if you’re in line at 8pm they’ll let you vote. If you’re walking up to the line or parking your car? That won’t work, timeliness is important. You’ll need a government issued ID with you to vote. Once you’ve submitted that ballot grab your sticker and you are good to go! 

TLDR: Show up at polling location below and bring your ID to vote!

Find your polling location.

In Summary / More Tools 🇺🇸

All of this (mostly the dates) may seem like a lot to keep track of. And honestly, it can be. But there are some really great resources out there like this from Vote411 with ballot and voting info, this from Ballotpedia with lots of info or this from the State Auditor to answer your voting questions or this to track what/who is in your ballot and what they stand for. 

Election Day is important. I know it can seem like we’re always in a campaign year(s) but I hope it’s never lost on you how incredible it is that we’re part of the process. Or how important it is that we all continue to be part of the process. Our government is responsible to us and in November we have the opportunity to communicate our values by voting them in or out of office.