A Vote Here sign. (Canva)
Iowa’s election laws have changed quite a bit since November 2020.
Most of the changes affect the timeline for early voting and how long people have to turn in their absentee ballots in order for their vote to be counted.
For 2022’s primary elections, here are the important dates to keep in mind:
- March 29 was the first day to request an absentee ballot from your county auditor. That window is still open.
- Early voting opens Wednesday, May 18, which is the earliest you can vote in person at the county auditor’s office.
- Monday, May 23, is the deadline for requesting an absentee ballot by mail.
- On Saturday, June 4, county auditor’s offices will be open for a weekend day for early voting in person (they’re also open during all weekdays).
- Monday, June 6, is the last day to vote early and in person at the auditor’s office.
- Tuesday, June 7, is Primary Election Day. Polls are open from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. This is also the final day when a mailed absentee ballot can be received—not simply put in the mail, but received in the office—in order to be counted. Make sure to mail your absentee ballot well ahead of time to ensure it gets counted.
You can still register to vote on Election Day itself in Iowa with proper identification and proof of address.
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Iowa also now has several voter ID rules. Below is what can be used as ID at a polling place.
- Iowa Voter Identification Card
- Iowa Driver’s License
- Iowa Non-Operator ID
- U.S. Military ID or Veteran ID
- U.S. Passport
- Tribal ID Card/Document
When requesting an absentee ballot, you now must write out your driver’s license number on the form. If you don’t have one, you can get a Voter ID card from local county auditor (see more details here) that has a PIN number you can use instead.
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The primary elections will decide which candidate will be on the ballot for the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 8. This year’s elections are considered the mid-terms—meaning they take place halfway between a president’s four-year term—and Iowa voters will choose who represents them federally in the US House of Representatives and US Senate. At the state level, Iowa voters will also vote on the governor’s office, other statewide offices, and the state legislature.
- To find information about the candidates, go here. You can find a full list of all the Iowa candidates on the Iowa Secretary of State’s website here.
- To find out if you’re registered, click here.
- To find your voting location (precinct), click here.
Nikoel Hytrek
5/3/22
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