Voting on Election Day

• Where to Vote
• Identification
• Provisional Ballots
• Iowa Voter Bill of Rights    

On Election Day, you must vote in the precinct where you live. If you are unsure of the location of your polling place, click here: Find Your Precinct/Polling Place. Also, a list of precinct polling places and a sample ballot are printed in local newspapers before each election.

You may contact your county auditor to find out where the polling place for your precinct will be and when the list of precinct polling places and sample ballots will be printed.

For Primary and General elections, polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Check with your local county auditor for other elections.

Federal law requires polling places to be accessible to voters with disabilities for all elections with federal offices on the ballot. Iowa law requires all polling places to be accessible for all elections (exceptions can be made for emergencies like fire damage or flooding). For more information, click here: HAVA (Help America Vote Act).

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You may need to show identification at the polls on Election Day if:

• You register to vote by mail after January 1, 2003, and you have never voted in a primary or General Election in your county;



• Your voter registration is inactive;



• You have moved from the address where you are registered to vote;



• Your right to vote is challenged; or



• The precinct election officials do not know you.

If you are asked to show identification, you may use any of the following forms of identification if it has your name and current address:

• A current and valid photo ID (driver's license, non-driver ID card, or student ID card);



• Current utility bill;



• Current bank statement, paycheck or government check; or



• Other current government document.

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If your name is not on the list of registered voters or if someone challenges your right to vote on Election Day, you have the right to cast a provisional ballot. Your ballot will be placed in an envelope that has a place for you to explain why you believe your ballot should be counted.

A special board will meet after Election Day to review your registration record and the information you provided. The board will then decide if your ballot can be counted. Before you leave the polls on Election Day, you will be given a written notice explaining your voting rights and listing the date on which the special ballot board will meet so you may be present to observe and present more information to the board.

If your ballot is not counted, you will receive a letter in the mail explaining why it was not counted.

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