As of Monday, the November general election is only 120 days away, which means people can now request absentee ballots from their county auditor’s office. The requested ballots will be mailed to voters starting on Monday, Oct. 8.
The November election will be the first one for which the state’s new voter ID law is in full effect, and Iowans will no longer be able to sign an oath as a way of confirming their identity when requesting an absentee ballot.
The Johnson County Auditor’s Office explained the new requirements in an emailed press release.
Note that under the new voter ID law, absentee ballot request forms must include the right ID number. There is not an “oath” option for mailed absentee ballots – if you do not provide the correct ID number, we cannot mail you a ballot.
If you have an Iowa Driver’s license or Iowa non-driver ID you are required to list that number. If you don’t have an Iowa license or non-driver ID, use the PIN number from your voter card. (Voters with an Iowa license or non-driver ID do not have a PIN number.) We cannot accept the last four digits of a Social Security number on an absentee ballot request.
Voters in Johnson County can find more information on the auditor’s site, or by calling 319-356-6004. Linn County voters should visit the election services section of their auditor’s site, or call 319-892-5300. Applications for absentee ballots can be downloaded from both sites.
The final day to request an absentee ballot will be Saturday, Oct. 27. In-person absentee voting begins on Monday, Oct. 8 and runs through Monday, Nov. 5.
