Don’t panic: Here’s how to vote last minute in Iowa

Have you voted yet? If you haven’t, don’t worry—you still have time to vote last minute!

Here are four easy ways to make sure your vote counts this year:

• Fill out your absentee ballot and put it in the mail (this is your reminder to DO THAT NOW), or
• Drop your absentee ballot off at your county auditor’s office, or in a designated ballot drop box (probably located outside your county auditor’s office), or
• Vote early at your county auditor’s office (or another satellite location), or
• Vote on Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 5!

If you’ve already voted, awesome! Please share this with someone in your life who hasn’t.

If you haven’t yet, read on for some last-minute help!

Send that absentee ballot back

Is your absentee ballot just sitting there, waiting to be filled out?

Don’t worry, it’s not a test! Fill out as much or as little as you want. Then mail that sucker back—postage is already paid!

(And, if you want to be better informed on all the races, check out our guide to everything on your ballot.)

Want to make sure it arrives before Nov. 5? Iowa law says your ballot must be at your county auditor’s office by the time the polls close, which is 8 p.m. Nov. 5. The US Postal Service recommends you mail it by today (Oct. 29) at the latest.

If you’re worried it won’t make it in time to be counted, you can always drop it off yourself—Starting Line’s Nikoel Hytrek shows you how easy that is.

Vote early in person

Didn’t get an absentee ballot this year?

You can vote in person before Election Day at your county auditor’s office from now through Nov. 4, generally during business hours, though some will have evening and weekend hours open, too.

Some larger areas will have other places you can vote early, like on college campuses. Your county auditor should have a list of those places, too!

Find out where your county auditor’s office is and what time you can vote here, then make a plan to go vote.

Here’s everything you need to know to vote early in Iowa.

Vote on Election Day

Voting on Election Day? We love to see it!

Don’t forget to bring a valid form of photo identification (like a current driver’s license), as Iowa law requires it.

From where to find your polling place to what to do if you mess up your ballot, here’s everything you need to know to vote on Election Day.

Register to vote at the polls

Not registered to vote yet?

Don’t worry, you still can—Iowa law allows you to register at the polls on Nov. 5.

First, check to make sure you haven’t already registered by clicking here.

If you aren’t yet registered, the Iowa Secretary of State’s office has a guide for which documents you should bring with you (besides your ID) to get registered at the polls.

Here’s everything you need to know to register to vote in Iowa.

More important voting resources:

• Election officials vs. election observers vs. election campaigners: What’s the difference?
• How to sign up to be a poll worker.
• How to vote if you’re a college student not living at home.
• Before you vote: Here are 6 anti-worker laws passed by the Iowa Legislature.
• What Iowa’s Voter ID laws mean, and which identification to take to the polls.
• How you can reclaim the right to vote after a felony on your record.
• How we’re covering elections at Iowa Starting Line.

Have a question about voting we haven’t answered? Email me!