Iowa Secretary of State | Voter Center

Who May Vote By Absentee Ballot?

Any registered voter may vote by absentee ballot. You do not need to give any reason to ask for an absentee ballot.

There are several ways to vote by absentee ballot. You may ask for a ballot by mail or in person at the county auditor's office. For some elections, you may vote in person at a satellite voting station. If you live at a health care facility or are a patient in a hospital and request an absentee ballot, the ballot will be brought to you.

When May You Vote By Absentee Ballot?

For primary and general elections, ballot are required by law to be ready 40 days before the election. For other elections, absentee ballots are made available as soon as possible; check with the auditor's office for the specific date.

You can request an absentee ballot as early as ten weeks before the election. The ballot will be mailed to you as soon as it is ready. If your absentee ballot request is received after the ballots are printed, it will be mailed within 24 hours. If your ballot is delayed, check with the county auditor's office to be sure that the request was received. If you are in a health care facility or hospital, see page 9.

How To Get An Absentee Ballot By Mail

You must request an absentee ballot in writing or you may download one here. You may also call the county auditor's office to ask for a form or send a letter to the county auditor asking for an absentee ballot. The letter must include:

You can fax your absentee ballot request to the county auditor's office. You must also mail the original request to the county auditor and it must be postmarked before election day.

Note: No witness or notary public is needed for any form to be filled out for Iowa absentee ballots.

By mail
Ballots are considered on time if they are postmarked before election day and received by noon the Monday after the election.

For school elections and some city and special elections, there may be an earlier deadline. Read the instructions sent with the ballot.

In Person
Ballots may be taken to the county auditor's office by the voter or someone the voter chooses. In order to be counted, ballots must be returned to the county auditor's office before the polls close on election day.

You must return your absentee ballot even if you do not vote. After receiving an absentee ballot, if you decide to vote at your polling place on election day, turn in the absentee ballot at the polls. You will be asked to vote on special ballot if you do not turn in your absentee ballot.

How To Vote By Absentee Ballot In Person
When you are ready to vote, go to the county auditor's office. You cannot take the ballot home with you. The county auditor's office is open on the Saturday before primary and general elections. On election day, you may not vote by absentee ballot at the auditor's office.

If you live in a health care facility or are in a hospital, you may request an absentee ballot in writing. The ballot will be delivered to you by two precinct officials.

If you are admitted to a health care facility or hospital three days or less before an election:

In Your Home County
The request for a ballot may be given to an election official delivering ballots to other voters. The auditor will take phone requests until 4 hours before the polls close. A request for a ballot may be Faxed if the original request is also mailed in. It must be postmarked before election day. Ballots cannot be sent by FAX.

Outside your home county
You may choose someone to deliver your absentee ballot. Anyone you choose, except a candidate on the ballot, may deliver it. Phone or FAX requests may be made to your county auditor no later than 4 hours before the polls close on election day.

Note: No witness or notary public is needed for any form to be filled out for Iowa absentee ballots.

Some counties use satellite absentee voting stations to provide absentee voting at various locations.

The voter must mark the ballot at the station and leave it with the officials. All satellite stations must be accessible to people with disabilities.

The auditor is not required to set up satellite stations. To find out whether satellite stations are planned for any election, contact your auditor. Voters may request satellite absentee voting stations by filing petitions with the county auditor.