Early voting in the Nov. 8 general election began on Wednesday with auditors’ offices mailing out absentee ballots requested by voters and opening their doors for early in-person voting. Early in-person voting will run through Monday, Nov. 7, the day before Election Day, and all absentee ballots must be received in the auditor’s office by 8 p.m. on Nov. 8, when the polls close.
Voters wanting to request an absentee ballot by mail must submit a written request form to the auditor’s office by next Monday, Oct. 24. That’s also the final chance to register to vote before Election Day. Same-day registration will be available at all polling places on Election Day.
To register to vote, one of the following forms of ID is necessary.
• Iowa Voter Identification Card
• Iowa Driver’s License
• Iowa Non-Operator ID
• U.S. Military ID or Veteran ID
• U.S. Passport
• Tribal ID Card/Document
If you have moved since the last time you voted, and your ID does not have your current address, you will need to provide proof of your current residence. According to the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office, the following forms of proof of residence are acceptable.
• Residential lease
• Utility bill, including a cell phone bill
• Bank statement
• Paycheck
• Government check
• Other government document
• Property tax statement
Since 2017, Iowans have been required to produce ID in order to exercise their right to vote. Any of the forms of ID listed above are considered acceptable.
Early voting in Johnson County
Both in-person early voting at the auditor’s office in the Johnson County Administration Building (913 S Dubuque St, Iowa City) and drive-thru voting at the Johnson County Health and Human Services Building’s parking ramp (855 S Dubuque St, Iowa City) are available. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Both sites will also be open the weekend before Election Day. Early voters will be able to cast a ballot on Saturday, Nov. 5, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sunday, Nov. 6, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
In addition to those sites, there will also be six satellite locations for early voting.
Iowa Memorial Union
125 N Madison St, Iowa City
Downstairs, near Hawk Shop
Wednesday, Oct. 19 through Friday, Oct. 21
9 a.m.-3 p.m.Purpose Place (formerly Dream City and Kingdom Center)
611 Southgate Ave, Iowa City
Sunday, Oct. 23, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.Tiffin City Hall
300 Railroad St
Tuesday, Oct. 25, 7 a.m.-1 p.m.Iowa City Public Library
123 S Linn St
Sunday, Oct. 30, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 31 through Wednesday, Nov. 2, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 3, noon-6 p.m.Coralville Public Library
1401 5th St
Saturday, Nov. 5, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 6, noon-4 p.m.North Liberty Community Library
520 W Cherry St
Saturday, Nov. 5, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 6, 1 p.m.-4 p.m.
Early voting in Linn County
Voters may cast their ballots in the Linn County Auditor’s Office in the Jean Oxley Public Service Center (935 2nd St SW, Cedar Rapids). Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The officer will also be open those same hours on Nov. 5, the Saturday before Election Day.
Linn County will also have seven satellite locations available for in-person early voting.
Lindale Mall
4444 1st Ave NE, Cedar Rapids,
Oct. 19-Nov. 6
Tuesdays through Saturdays: 11 a.m.–6:30 p.m.
Sunday: Noon–5 p.m.Mt. Mercy University – Busse Library
1330 Elmhurst Dr NE, Cedar Rapids
Thursday, Oct. 20, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.Cornell College – SAW Center
600 1st St, Mt. Vernon
Thursday, Oct. 27, noon–6 p.m.Cedar Rapids Downtown Library
450 5th Ave SE
Saturday, Oct. 22, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 23, 1–5 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 24, 3:30–7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 25, 3:30-7:30 p.m.Cedar Rapids LADD Library
3750 Williams Blvd SW
Friday, Oct. 28, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 29, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 30, 1–5 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 6, 1–5 p.m.Kirkwood Community College – Recreation Center
6301 Kirkwood Blvd SW, Cedar Rapids
Tuesday, Nov. 1, noon–6 p.m.Coe College – Gage Memorial Union
1220 1st Ave NE, Cedar Rapids
Wednesday, Nov. 2, noon-6 p.m.
Drop boxes
Anyone with a completed absentee ballot they don’t want to mail, can deposit them in the auditor’s drop box. New restrictions on voting signed into law by Gov. Kim Reynolds last year limit every county to just one drop box. In Johnson County, the drop box is located on the south side of the Johnson County Administration Building. The drop box in Linn County is at the drive-thru early voting site. Absentee ballots must be in a drop box by the time polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 8, in order to be counted.
The new restrictions also changed who can deposit an absentee ballot in a dropbox. Besides the voter who filled out the ballot, only a member of that person’s immediate family, a member of their household or an authorized election official can put another’s sealed ballot envelope in a drop box. If a neighbor, a friend or a cousin who doesn’t live with the voter did it to be helpful, they could be charged with a crime. That also applies to anyone putting an absentee ballot into a mailbox to be delivered by the post office.
Questions answered
Anyone with questions regarding where or how to vote can get answers by calling their auditor’s office. In Johnson County, the phone number for the auditor’s office is 319-356-6004. The Linn County Auditor’s Office can be reached at 319-892-5300.
