If you have not already, soon you will start seeing information about Iowa City’s upcoming elections for city council on November 3. There will be satellite voting stations in Mayflower on Monday, October 26 from 11am-5pm, Burge on Tuesday, October 27 from 11am-7pm, and Hillcrest on Wednesday, October 28 from 11am-7pm. As a student living in Iowa City you are eligible to vote. Below is some information on what you need to do to be a registered voter in Johnson County.
Who may vote in Iowa City (Johnson County), Iowa?
You must be registered to vote in Johnson County before the registration deadline, 5:00 p.m. Friday, October 23rd. If you are not, Iowa has an Election Day registration procedure (detailed below).
To register to vote, you must:
1. be a citizen of the United States
2. be a resident of Johnson County, Iowa.
3. be at least 17 ½ years old. (You must be 18 to vote.)
4. not have been convicted of a felony (unless your rights have been restored)
5. not currently be judged “incompetent” to vote by a court.
6. Not register to vote in any other place. By law, you may only be registered to vote in one place. When you register to vote in Johnson County, any previous voter registration will be cancelled. If you discover you are registered to vote in two places, please contact your Auditor immediately.
How do I register to vote?
You must complete and sign an Iowa Voter Registration Application and then bring it or mail it to the Johnson County Auditor’s Office. This form is available online at: http://www.johnson-county.com/auditor/voter/vrfrmins.htm.
Required information on this form includes:
● The two boxes at the top of the form declaring you are a U.S. citizen and will be 18 years old on Election Day must be checked.
● An Iowa driver’s license number must be entered, if you have one. If not, the number of your State of Iowa non-driver ID card is required. If you have neither of these, you must enter the last 4 numbers of your social security number. If you have none of the above, enter “None” in this space. When you mail your form (rather than bringing it to us in person) entering “None” will require that you provide proof of identity when voting at the polls for the first time.
● Date of birth.
● Sex (female or male).
● Full name (as it appears on your Iowa driver’s license).
● Your Johnson County, Iowa address.
● Mailing address, if different from where you live.
● Signature and the current date.
● Previous voter registration information.
After your Voter Registration Application has been processed, a Voter Registration Card will be mailed to you. It is usually mailed within one week after your Application is received in the Auditor’s Office. This card is your registration receipt and lists your polling place for regular elections and for school elections (which is different for some voters). It is not necessary to bring your card with you in order to vote.
Election Day Registration
You may register to vote when voting early or on Election Day with the Election Day Registration procedure. Election Day Registration requires proof of address and a photo ID. The best form of ID is a valid Iowa driver’s license with current address. If your Iowa driver’s license has an old address on it, you can use the license as proof of identity and use one of the following as proof of residence if it contains your current address:
● Residential lease
● Property tax statement
● Utility bill
● Bank statement
● Paycheck
● Government check
● Other government document, including a U bill (IF it contains your Johnson County address)
If you do not have an Iowa driver’s license, you can provide one of the following as proof of identity if it contains your photo:
● A valid out-of-state driver’s license
● Non-driver ID card
● US passport
● US military ID
● ID card issued by employer
● Student ID issued by Iowa high school or college, IF it contains an expiration date. University of Iowa IDs do not have an expiration date and cannot be used.
* All forms of photo ID must be current, valid and contain an expiration date.
How do I vote absentee?
Iowa law allows any eligible voter residing in Johnson County to request an absentee ballot from the Johnson County Auditor’s Office. If you prefer to be registered to vote someplace else (rather than register at your Johnson County address), you must contact the Elections Commissioner in that jurisdiction for an absentee ballot. There are a number of ways to vote by absentee ballot in Johnson County, Iowa.
By Mail:
An absentee ballot by mail must be requested in writing on the State of Iowa “Official Absentee Ballot Request Form.” This form is available at the Auditor’s Office or may be downloaded at: http://www.jcauditor.com/.
In Person:
You may vote an absentee ballot in person at the Auditor’s Office during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. You may also vote in person at a satellite voting station. The Satellite Schedule is posted on our website: http://www.jcauditor.com/. If you are a patient in a hospital, you may contact the Auditor’s Office and a ballot will be brought to you on Election Day. 319-356-6004.
Please Note:
Political parties and other political and/or community groups recruit potential voters by distributing and collecting Voter Registration an Absentee Ballot Request forms. While these groups provide a valuable public service, they are not employees or agents of the Auditor’s Office. Submitting a voter registration application to a member of one of these groups does not guarantee it will be delivered to the Auditor’s Office. If you do not receive a Voter Registration Card within two weeks after giving someone an Application, please contact the Auditor’s Office. If you do not receive an Absentee Ballot within five days of giving someone your Absentee Ballot Request, notify the Auditor’s Office as well.