Since election season has officially begun, the Davis Brown Government Relations team will be regularly providing election updates. This update is intended to provide you with insight into the most recent voter registration totals and information about casting your ballot.
Early voting began Monday, October 8 across the state of Iowa at local county auditor offices. Check with your local county auditor for their hours of operation. Some county auditors are utilizing satellite absentee voting stations to provide in-person absentee voting at places other than the auditor’s office. To find out if a satellite station is planned in your area, contact your local county auditor. When you cast your ballot early, you do not need to attend your polling place on Election Day. You must be a registered voter to participate in early voting. October 8 is also the first day that county auditors will be mailing requested absentee ballots.
The Secretary of State’s office reported Tuesday morning (10/9) that 7,870 absentee ballots were received the first day of early voting. Of those, 4,421 came from registered Democrats, 2,403 from registered Republicans and 1,008 from registered No Party voters.
IMPORTANT ELECTION DATES
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October 8 - In-person absentee voting begins in county auditor offices/satellite absentee voting stations; first day requested absentee ballots will be mailed
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October 27 (5pm) - Deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail
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November 5 - Last day to request and vote an absentee ballot in-person at the auditor’s office; mailed absentee ballots must be postmarked by November 5
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November 6 - Election Day
STATE OF IOWA VOTER REGISTRATION TOTALS
Like polls, voter registration statistics can provide an indication as to the outcome of an election. However, like polls, voter registration totals are also merely a snapshot in time and the election will ultimately be determined by turnout.
As of October 1, 2018:
2,151,649 Registered voters
1,989,961 Active voters
620,639 Democratic active
644,142 Republican active
11,876 Libertarian active
710,584 No party active
7,720 other active
161,668 Inactive voters
Secretary of State: State of Iowa Voter Totals, Congressional District, (10/1/2018)
Voter registration totals can also be found broken down by:
Utilize the links above to review the current voter registration totals in your respective districts.
VOTING1
Information about voting in the 2018 election can be found on the Secretary of State’s website on the “Elections” page.
Voter registration
To vote in Iowa, you must be registered to vote. To qualify to register to vote, you must be:
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A U.S. citizen,
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An Iowa resident, and
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At least 17 1/2 years old (must be 18 years old by election day to vote.)
You cannot:
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Be a convicted felon (unless your voting rights have been restored),
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Be judged mentally incompetent to vote by a court, or
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Claim the right to vote in any other place.
You can register to vote online (Iowa Driver’s License or Non-operator ID required) or download a “Voter Registration Form” and return it to your local county auditor.
Enter your name and zip code on the Secretary of State’s website to see if you are registered to vote in Iowa.
Voter ID info
Be sure to familiarize yourself with the new voter ID laws. During calendar year 2018, voters will be asked to show their ID before voting at the polls. Anyone who does not have the necessary ID will be asked to sign an oath verifying their identity and will be allowed to cast a regular ballot.
What is a valid form of ID to show at the polls?
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Iowa Driver's License
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Iowa Non-Operator's ID
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Military ID
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U.S. Passport
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Tribal ID
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Veteran's ID
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Voter ID Card
Voting
Absentee
Any registered voter in Iowa may request an absentee ballot through their county auditor. Registered voters may request an absentee ballot to be sent to them by mail. You must complete an absentee ballot request form and return the original, signed form to your county auditor. The request form does not need to be witnessed or notarized.
Election day
On election day, you will need to go to the polling place for your precinct to vote. Find your polling place by entering your zip code on the Secretary of State’s website.
The Secretary of State has provided additional tools to ensure that every Iowan is voter ready.
1 Information from the Iowa Secretary of State website (https://sos.iowa.gov/).
