Absentee Voting

Eligible and registered voters wishing to cast absentee ballots may vote in person at the office of the County Auditor, or may make written requests for absentee ballots to be mailed to them.

Voting in person

A registered voter may cast an absentee ballot on any regular business day prior to Election Day. View County Auditor's office hours.

Voting by mail

Written requests for absentee ballots:

• Are required to be on the state-specified absentee request form;
• Should be received by the County Auditor soon enough to allow the voted absentee ballot to be received back in the office of the County Auditor by Election Day;
• Require the voter's name, voting address, name or date of the election and signature;
• Must be received by the County Auditor by 5:00 p.m. on the Friday before the election date;
• Should be addressed to the County Auditor. Find address and service information from all County Auditors in the state.
• Need to specify the name of the election (e.g. General Election) or the date of the election.

• Office hours during this election cycle
  • Check with your County Auditor for specific hours during an election cycle.
    
• Ways to return voted absentee ballots
  • Personal delivery
    • Where to Deliver
      
      A voted absentee ballot may be delivered in person to the County Auditor’s office on any regular business day. View County Auditor's office hours.
      
      A voted absentee ballot cannot be delivered to a polling place on Election Day; it will not be counted.  However, an absentee ballot can be surrendered to the precinct officials at the polling site on Election Day, and the voter will be allowed to vote at the polls.

      When to Deliver
      
      In order to be considered on time to be counted for any election, a voted absentee ballot that is personally delivered must be physically received in the County Auditor’s office by the time the polls close on election night.

  • Mailing voted absentee ballots
    • Return postage for mailed ballots has already been applied to the return carrier envelope, as required by Iowa law.
      
      Iowa’s laws have changed.  Only the voter, or an immediate family member*, may mail a ballot back to the County Auditor’s office.
      
      *Immediate family member means only the voter’s:

      - spouse
      - parent or stepparent
      - grandparent
      - any of the following if at least 18 years of age: sister or brother, daughter or son, stepson or stepdaughter, or grandchild

      Mail Delivery

      In order to be considered on time to be counted for any election, a voted absentee ballot that is mailed back to the County Auditor’s office must bear a postmark from the U.S. Postal Service dated prior to Election Day and must be received back in the County Auditor’s office prior to the canvass.

• When to return Absentee Ballots
  • Personal Delivery
    
    In order to be considered on time to be counted for any election, a voted absentee ballot that is personally delivered must be physically received in the County Auditor’s office by the time the polls close on election night.