Iowa Voting Requirements & Information
U.S. Vote Foundation’s Iowa Voting Requirements and Information directory informs you of Iowa voting rules and options. It focuses on Iowa-specific voting guidelines and information for all voters, including domestic, overseas, and military voters. Here you can find out about Iowa voter eligibility, voter ID requirements, registration, absentee and early voting options, ways to transmit voting documents and links to specific-Iowa voting tools. It's an all-in-one Iowa voting resource.
General Information
Registration
You can register to vote or update your registration information:
- online
- by mail
- in person at your elections office
- at some public assistance offices and motor vehicle offices
- at the polls on Election Day
Election Day Voting
Polling places are open from 7am to 8pm on Election Day.
Find my polling place
Early Voting
A registered voter may vote early via an absentee ballot cast at your county auditor's office. Contact your local office to inquire about early voting options for specific elections.
Absentee Voting
Any registered voter may request an absentee ballot and vote by mail. Voters must send an absentee ballot request application form to their county auditor by 5pm, fifteen days before an election. You can also download the application on the Iowa Secretary of State website. Return the original, signed application to your county auditor.
Place your completed ballot in the postage-paid return envelope provided. Absentee ballots must arrive in the county auditor’s office by the time polls close on Election Day. County auditors may place one drop box per county for ballots inside their offices or on county property, but may not place them at other locations around the community
Absentee ballots may be returned to the auditor’s office in person or by mail. Only the voter, an immediate family member, a household member, or a caregiver may deliver or mail the completed ballot. A voter’s employer, a member of a voters’ union, or an agent of a party/committee/candidate may not return the ballot. The person returning the ballot must sign paperwork and may not return more than two ballots per election. Exceptions may be granted for registered Iowa voters who are blind or have another disability.
Please visit the US Vote Disability Voting Guide to see accommodations for the registration and voting process.
Eligibility Requirements
You are eligible to vote in Iowa if you:
- Are a U.S. citizen
- Are a resident of Iowa
- at 17 years of age provided you will be 18 by the next general election.
If you relocate within the same voting precinct, you will need to show proof of residency at your new address.
You are NOT eligible to vote in Iowa if:
- You are registered to vote in another state
- You were disqualified from voting due to a court order
- You have been convicted of a felony and have not yet had your civil rights restored.
Restorative Requirements
- If you have completed a felony sentence, including any term of incarceration, parole, supervision, period of probation, or you have been pardoned, then you are immediately eligible to register to vote
Exception: This does not apply to individuals convicted of crimes found in Iowa Code Chapter 707, including homicide and related crimes. Individuals convicted of a Chapter 707 crime will need to apply to the Governor for restoration.
You may preregister to vote in Iowa
- At the age of 17
At the age of 17, you may vote in a Primary Election if you will be 18 on or by Election Day.
If you are a student, you are eligible to vote in Iowa if:
- You reside in Iowa but are attending college in another state
- You reside in another state but attend college in Iowa
Identification Requirements
Voter Registration
To register to vote in Iowa you should provide:
- Valid Iowa Driver's License
If you do not have this form of ID, Iowa will also accept:
- Valid Student ID from State School
- Veteran's ID
- Valid Employee ID
- Valid US Passport
- Valid Military ID
- Out of State Driver's License or Non-driver ID
- Valid Iowa non-driver's ID
- Valid Tribal ID
If your ID does not contain your current address, you may use the following documents to show proof of residence that is current within 45 days:
- Utility Bill, Bank Statement, Government Check, or Paycheck that Shows your current name and address
- Government Issued Document that shows your current name and address
- Lease or rent agreement
This proof can be on paper or in electronic format. Note that a mobile phone bill also counts as a utility bill.
Voting In-Person
When you vote absentee in-person, or if you vote in-person on Election Day, you are required to show valid id including:
- Valid Iowa non-driver's ID
- Valid Iowa Voter ID Card
- Valid Iowa Driver's License
- Veteran's ID
- Valid Military ID
- U.S. Passport
If you don't have acceptable id, another registered voter in your precinct can attest for you. Or you can use registration documents to prove your identification and residency. If your ID does not show your current address, you may also provide a property tax bill. You may use a provisional ballot if these options are not available to you.
You must provide your Voter Verification Number (ID Number) to vote absentee. You can use the 4 digit voter PIN located on your Iowa Voter ID card or:
- Your Iowa Driver's License Number
- Your Iowa non-driver ID number
Contact your County Auditor's Office to request a voter id card.
Voter Materials Transmission Options
Domestic Voter |
In-Person |
|
Fax |
|
Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voter Registration | |||||
| Absentee Ballot Request | |||||
| Blank Ballot To Voter | |||||
| Voted-Absentee Ballot Return |
State Lookup Tools – Am I Registered?
State Elections Website
Where is my Polling Place?
Where is my Ballot?
Can I Register to Vote Online?
Am I Registered?
Military Voter Information
Overseas Voter Information
State Voter Registration FAQ
Where are my Early Voting Locations?
Can I View my Sample Ballot?
Has my Ballot Been Counted?
Vote In Honor of a Veteran
Where is my Overseas or Military Ballot?
Eligibility Requirements
Overseas Voters
U.S. citizens living abroad have the right to vote as absentee voters, provided they are eligible to vote in their state. If you are living outside of the U.S. permanently, indefinitely, or temporarily, your voting rights stay with you, even if you never voted when you lived in the U.S. To vote from overseas:
- Complete and send an overseas voter registration/ballot request form to your election office in the U.S. This is one specific form that will register you as an overseas voter and request your absentee ballot – simultaneously.
Many states allow children who were born overseas, but never lived in the U.S., to use their U.S. parents’ last residence address to register.
Military Voters
Service members and their eligible family members living outside their voting jurisdiction (within or outside the U.S.) are able to vote as absentee voters.
- If you are a service member, or an eligible family member, there is a single form to file for both voter registration and ballot request. It is often called the “Federal Post Card Application” or the FPCA form. This form must be re-filed with your election office each time you change location.
To vote as a service member or eligible family member:
- Complete and send a voter registration/ballot request form “FPCA” to your election office in the U.S. It is the same form in all states.
Identification Requirements
Voting Overseas
U.S. citizens living overseas may register and request a ballot using the overseas voter registration/ballot request form. You may include the following ID:
- Iowa ID Card
- Last Four Digits of your Social Security Number
If you do not have either of these numbers you must enter in Section 6: "I do not have a Social Security Number or Iowa-issued ID number."
Voting Military
Service members and their dependents may register and request a ballot using the overseas voter registration/ballot request form ("FPCA"). You may include the following ID:
- Iowa ID Card
- Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number
If you do not have either of these numbers you must enter in Section 6: "I do not have a Social Security Number or Iowa-issued ID number."
Voter Materials Transmission Options
Overseas Voter |
In-Person |
|
Fax |
|
Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voter Registration | |||||
| Absentee Ballot Request | |||||
| Blank Ballot To Voter | |||||
| Voted-Absentee Ballot Return |
Military Voter |
In-Person |
|
Fax |
|
Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voter Registration | |||||
| Absentee Ballot Request | |||||
| Blank Ballot To Voter | |||||
| Voted-Absentee Ballot Return |