Early voting began in Iowa on Oct. 16, 2024, the first day county auditors are allowed to mail out absentee ballots. (Photo by Carl Payne for Colorado Newsline)
Early voting has officially begun in Iowa, as of Wednesday, Oct. 16 for the 2024 general election.
Iowans will have an early chance to weigh in on their choice for president and U.S. representative, in addition to a number of state legislative and local races and two constitutional amendments in the Nov. 5 election.
Iowa county auditors can officially start mailing out requested absentee ballots Wednesday, in addition to hosting in-person early voting opportunities at local county auditor’s office and designated satellite polling locations in the final weeks before Election Day.
As of Tuesday, 187,115 absentee ballots had been requested by voters across the state, according to data from the Iowa Secretary of State’s office.
These numbers are slightly higher than the absentee ballot requests submitted by the Oct. 19, 2022 deadline for the previous midterm election, when 157,223 Iowans had submitted requests the night before Oct. 19 according to Secretary of State office data.
But it’s far below the 2020 absentee voting rates, when Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said 632,549 voters have requested an absentee ballot by Oct. 5. That was during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Pate sent absentee ballot requests forms out statewide.
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Voters have not been automatically sent absentee ballot request forms for the 2024 general election. To participate in the election by mail, Iowans are required to submit an absentee ballot request, which can be downloaded from the Iowa Secretary of State’s website, to their local county auditor’s office.
When requesting a ballot, Iowa voters must provide proof of identification through the ID number on their driver’s license or non-operator’s ID, or by using the four-digit PIN found on their voter identification card.
While Iowans could begin requesting absentee ballots on Aug. 27, there is still time for voters to submit their requests. Iowa law requires request forms to be received by local county auditor’s offices by 5 p.m. 15 days prior to the election – this year, Oct. 21.
Completed mail-in ballots must be received by the county auditor’s office by the time polls close on Election Day – by 8 p.m., Nov. 5 in 2024 – to be counted.
Voting early in person
Mail-in ballots are not the only way Iowans can vote prior to Election Day. Voters are able to go to their county auditor’s office – with information and addresses found on the Secretary of State’s website – where they can go in person to cast their ballot. Some counties also offer satellite polling locations, outside of the county auditor’s office, for early voting, with information available on local county auditors’ websites.
Registered voters must bring valid identification, like a driver’s license, U.S. passport, or signed Iowa Voter Identification Card, to participate in early voting.
Registering to vote
Voters are also required to be registered to participate in early voting by mail and in person. Iowans can register to vote online through the Secretary of State’s website with their Iowa driver’s license or non-operator ID information, or can register by filling out and returning a registration form to their county auditor’s office. Eligible voters must be U.S. citizens, Iowa residents and 18 years old by Election Day to register.
Iowa offers same-day registration for both early voting and on Election Day. To register to vote in person, Iowans must bring an accepted form of identification as well as proof of residence through documents like a residential lease or utility bill to their polling location. People who do not have these required documents can still vote if a registered voter from their precinct attests for them, with both parties signing an oath that the statements made were true.
If a person does not have needed IDs or an attester, they can cast a provisional ballot in the election and can return to their local county auditor to provide proof of identity up until the time of county canvass of votes – the Monday after Election Day, Nov. 11.
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