Iowa Voting 101: What you need to know for Election Day

DES MOINES - For Iowans who prefer the tradition of heading to the polling place on Election Day to vote in person, Tuesday is your day.

To cast a ballot in the hard-fought 2020 election, a prospective voter must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of Iowa, at least 18 years old and registered to vote. More voter information can be found at the Iowa Secretary of State's website at sos.iowa.gov/elections.

Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., but election officials say you will be able to vote as long as you are in line by 9 p.m. An ID is required to vote.

Iowa has same-day registration. You can register to vote at the polls by providing proof of identity: an Iowa driver's license or non-operator's ID, a U.S. passport, an Iowa-issued voter ID card, a U.S. military or veteran's ID card, a tribal ID, ID cards with expiration dates issued by an employer, an Iowa high school or college, or an out-of-state driver's license or non-operator's ID with proof of Iowa residency. Identification cards must display the voter's photo and an expiration date that is unexpired (but not applicable to military/veteran's ID cards). If the ID card has a current address, proof of residency documentation is not needed, according to elections officials.

A voter unable to prove his or her identity with any of those documents may have a registered voter who resides in the polling precinct attest to the person's identity if both people sign an oath. Election officials say making a false attestation to vote is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

Voters seeking their assigned polling place can check at the Secretary of States' website.

That office has provided each county with safety materials made possible by federal grants that include masks, gloves, about 1,500 gallons of hand sanitizer, social distancing markers and face shields. Mask wearing is encouraged but not required at polling places.

'We worked with them to prepare contingency plans to respond to different circumstances. The feedback that we're getting is that they're prepared,” said Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate. 'Voters are pretty understanding in Iowa. It's not their first rodeo. We have high voter participation in this state and I think we'll have all of the things done that we need to do to make sure that it's successful.”

Many counties are consolidating polling locations on Election Day so voters are encouraged to check with their county auditor or visit the Secretary of State's website for more information. Iowa will have 1,681 precincts, but about 1,200 polling places, Tuesday, according to the Secretary of State's office.

Those who cannot vote Tuesday include felons (unless the person's voting rights have been restored), a person judged to be mentally incompetent to vote by a court, or someone who can claim the right to vote in any other place.

Gov. Kim Reynolds issued an executive order in August to restore the voting rights of felons who have completed terms of their sentences. The exception is for homicide or related heinous crimes. As of last week, about 35,000 had their rights restored, but fewer than 3,000 had registered to vote Tuesday.

Pate's office put in place new resources to assist individuals with felony convictions who have had their voting rights restored. Among them, Pate launched an interactive website, RestoreYourVote.Iowa.gov, that includes answers to frequent questions and links to register.

Tuesday's general election already has set a record for absentee balloting by topping the previous high of 688,057 in 2012 as voters look for ways to avoid lines and crowded public venues in the midst of a pandemic. As of last Wednesday, over 815,000 absentee ballots had been returned, state officials said.

As of last week, active registered voters in Iowa totaled 2,056,085 and election officials estimated turnout could exceed 75 percent given that the weather forecast looks favorable - sunny skies with highs in the 60s.

Absentee ballots that are postmarked by Monday and received by noon Nov. 9 will be counted.

Election results are unofficial until county officials conduct ballot canvasses by Nov. 10, the statewide canvass is completed by Nov. 30 and results certified by the Iowa Executive Council.

Comments: (515) 243-7220; rod.boshart@thegazette.com