Voter Resources: Who Can Vote?

To register to vote in Iowa, you must:

  • Be a citizen of the United States
  • Be a resident of Iowa
  • Be at least 17½ years old (MUST be 18 years old to vote)
  • Not have been convicted of a felony (unless your voting rights have been restored )
  • Not currently be judged incompetent to vote by a court
  • Give up your right to vote in any other place

If you do not meet all of these qualifications, you cannot register to vote.

Same Day Voter Registration

If you do not pre-register to vote before the voter registration deadline, you can go to the polling place for the address where you currently live and register and vote on Election Day. You will need to show proof of identity and proof of your current residence. The best form of identification is a valid Iowa driver's license with your current address printed on it. All forms of photo ID must be current, valid, and contain an expiration date.

If your Iowa driver's license has a former address on it (and is not expired), you may use the license as proof of identity and use one of the following to prove your residence if it contains your name and current address:

  • Residential lease
  • Property tax statement
  • Utility bill
  • Bank statement
  • Paycheck
  • Government check, or other government document

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 and an expiration date:

• An out-of-state driver's license
• Non-driver identification card
• U.S. passport
• U.S. military ID
• ID card issued by employer or…
• Student ID issued by Iowa high school or college

If you do not have proof of identity and residence…

A registered voter in the precinct may attest to your identity and residence. Both you and the attester will be required to sign an oath swearing the statements being made are true. Falsely attesting or being attested for is registration fraud and is a class "D" felony, punishable by a fine of up to $7500 and up to 5 years in prison. Registration fraud also includes falsely registering to vote, attempting to falsely register to vote, and registering to vote in more than one precinct.
If you do not have proof of identity and residence and do not have anyone who can attest to your identity and residence, you will be allowed to vote a provisional ballot.

After the election, all voters who registered to vote on Election Day will be sent a notice by mail. If this notice is returned as undeliverable, a forwardable notice will be mailed to the voter. If the county auditor does not receive a response to that notice within 14 days, the auditor will notify the county attorney and secretary of state for investigation and possible prosecution.