Iowa voters can now request absentee ballots for the Nov. 5 general election

While Iowans began requesting absentee ballots Aug. 27, it will still be some time before absentee voting will kick off. County auditors will begin sending out requested ballots on Oct. 16 — the same day that voters will be able to start voting early in person.

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said in an August news release that “planning ahead is key to successfully casting a ballot,” asking Iowans to make a plan to participate in the upcoming election.

“Whether you choose to vote by mail, vote absentee in person at your county auditor’s office, or vote in person on election day, now is the time to prepare,” Pate said in a statement. “Iowans can rest assured that when they cast their vote in the general election, we will ensure it is counted accurately and fairly.”

There have been some changes to the absentee voting process in Iowa since the last presidential election in 2020. While active registered voters received absentee ballot applications by mail in the 2020 election during the Covid-19 pandemic, a 2021 law prohibited the Iowa Secretary of State from mailing requests to all registered voters without legislative approval.

Voters can download absentee ballot requests from the Iowa Secretary of State’s website, and can return them in person or by mail to their local county auditor’s office. To request a ballot, Iowans must provide proof of identification through the ID number on their driver’s license or non-operator’s ID, or with the four-digit PIN found on their voter identification card.

The 2021 voting law also included a requirement that requests must be received by county auditor’s by 5 p.m. at least 15 days before the election, meaning that the request forms must be returned by Oct. 21 this year.

Iowans must be registered to vote in order to request and receive an absentee ballot. To register, a voter must be a U.S. citizen, Iowa resident and 18 years old by Election Day. Iowans seeking to register can do so online through the Iowa Secretary of State website, using an Iowa driver’s license, non-operator ID, or by filling out and returning a registration form to their county auditor’s office.

Voters can also register to vote on Election Day. Iowa allows same-day voter registration, allowing Iowans to register when they go to vote at polling locations that will be open from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. on Nov. 5. People registering to vote must show identification — such as a driver’s license, U.S. passport, or signed Iowa Voter Identification Card — as well as additional proof of residence if their ID does not include their current address through documents like a residential lease or utility bill.

Registered voters must also bring a form of identification to their polling site, as required through the 2017 state Voter ID law.