How to vote by mail in this year’s elections in Iowa

Iowa will hold its statewide general election on Nov. 3. Voters will choose a new governor and other state officials, a new U.S. senator, and all four Iowa U.S. representatives and will decide who will fill all 100 seats in the state House of Representatives, half of the 50 seats in the Iowa Senate, and county and township offices.

Iowa is a no-excuse absentee voting state, meaning any registered voter may opt to vote by mail in any election.

Eligible voters may register to vote at any time, including Election Day. Eligible citizens with an Iowa driver’s license or nonoperator ID can register to vote by mail or online at https://mymvd.iowadot.gov/Account/Login?ReturnUrl=%2fVoterRegistration.  

How to request a ballot by mail

To receive an absentee ballot, registered voters must submit a written application to their local county auditor. All requests for mail ballots must be received by the county auditor before 5 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 19, 15 days before Election Day.

The application to vote by mail in the general election must include the voter’s name, residential address, and date of birth; the name or date of the election; the applicant’s signature; and the date the application is filled out. It must include either the voter’s Iowa driver’s license number, their Iowa nonoperator ID number, or the four-digit PIN on their Iowa voter ID card.

A printable form is available at sos.iowa.gov/elections/pdf/absenteeballotapp.pdf. 

For a list of Iowa county auditors and their addresses, visit sos.iowa.gov/auditors. 

How to complete and return a mail ballot

Upon receipt of the ballot, the voter must follow the included instructions to complete the ballot and necessary forms.

The ballot may then be returned using the enclosed postage-paid return envelope. No additional postage is required.

Alternatively, a voter may drop off the ballot at the local county auditor’s office.

Under Iowa law, a ballot may only be returned by the voter, an immediate family member of the voter, or a member of the voter’s household, unless the voter has a disability.

Deadline to return ballots

In order to be counted, a ballot must be received by the local county auditor’s office by the time the polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day. The Postal Service recommends mailing in a complete ballot at least a week before the deadline to ensure it arrives on time.

For more information visit sos.iowa.gov/voters/absentee-voting or call (515) 281-0145

or 1-888-SOS-VOTE (767-8683).