Iowa voter guide: Nov. 3, 2026 general election

This is one plain page on Iowa's Nov. 3 general election. TFS News has no tie to any campaign, party or committee and takes no payment from them.

The Iowa Secretary of State (SOS) is the authority. If anything here differs from the SOS or your county auditor, go with them.

Two deadlines passed on Oct. 19

Pre-registration. The deadline is 15 days before the election. A county auditor lists Oct. 19. You can still register in person at your early voting site through Nov. 2, or at your polling place on Nov. 3 (IPR, SOS).
Mailed ballot requests. Requests had to reach your county auditor by 5:00 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19 (SOS, SOS absentee page).

Both deadlines have passed. You can still vote early in person at your county auditor's office through Nov. 2, or register at your polling place on Election Day.

Key dates

Oct. 14 to Nov. 2: In-person absentee voting at your county auditor's office (SOS). Hours vary by county (example).
Tuesday, Nov. 3: Election Day, polls open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
8 p.m. Nov. 3: Mailed ballots must reach the county auditor by then (SOS). Mailing a ballot by then is not enough. A late ballot is not counted (SOS absentee page, IPR).

How to register

To register, you must be a U.S. citizen, an Iowa resident and at least 17. You can vote Nov. 3 if you will be 18 by then (SOS). You cannot register if you have a felony conviction without restored rights, or if a court has judged you mentally incompetent to vote (SOS).

You can register online through the Iowa DOT website with an Iowa driver's license or non-operator ID (SOS). Check your status with the Am I Registered tool.

Same-day registration. You can register at your early voting site or at your polling place on Election Day (IPR). On Election Day, go to the polling place for your current address and prove who you are and where you live (SOS):

Identity: An Iowa driver's license with your current address works best. Otherwise, a current, valid photo ID with an expiration date, such as a U.S. passport (SOS).
Residence: If your ID lacks your current address, bring a paper or electronic document with your name and current address, dated within 45 days, such as a lease, utility bill or bank statement (SOS registration, SOS Election Day).

No documents? A registered voter from your precinct may attest for you under oath (SOS Election Day page). An attester can still vouch for you when you register at the polls (IPR). Since HF 2501, though, an attester can no longer meet the voter ID requirement (IPR). If you have no accepted ID, ask your county auditor before Election Day what ballot you will get.

Voting by mail

Request: Send the SOS form to your county auditor. No witness or notary is needed. Include your Iowa driver's license or non-operator ID number, or the four-digit PIN on your Iowa Voter ID Card (SOS).
Return: The USPS suggests mailing at least one week before Election Day (SOS). Some counties have drop boxes (IPR).
Who can return it: You, an immediate family member, a household member, or the designee of a voter with a disability (SOS). Voted absentee ballots cannot go to a polling place (IPR).
Track it with the SOS ballot tracker.
Running late? Surrender the absentee ballot at your polling place and vote a regular ballot, or vote provisionally if you cannot surrender it (IPR).

ID at the polls

Accepted IDs: Iowa driver's license, Iowa non-operator ID, U.S. passport, U.S. military or veteran ID, tribal ID, or Iowa Voter ID Card (SOS). Registered voters without a DOT license or ID get a free Voter ID Card in the mail. Sign it when it arrives.

No accepted ID? The SOS says you may prove identity and residence with Election Day Registration documents. Otherwise you will be offered a provisional ballot. You can then show ID at the polls before they close, or at your county auditor's office before the county canvass, held the Monday after the election (SOS). Jackson County, for example, sets the cutoff at noon on that Monday, Nov. 9, or earlier if its canvass is earlier (Jackson County). Confirm the time with your county auditor.

New this year: HF 2501, signed May 2, 2026, took effect July 1, 2026 (bill history). It ended the option of having another precinct voter attest to your identity to meet the ID requirement (IPR). An attester can still help with registration. See "No documents?" under How to register.

Find your polling place

Use the SOS polling place lookup. Find your county auditor on the SOS auditor list.

What's on the ballot

Order follows the SOS candidate list (Aug. 19, 2026). This is not necessarily the order on your ballot. R: Republican. D: Democratic. L: Libertarian. NP: No Party.

U.S. Senate: Ashley Hinson (R), Josh Turek (D), Thomas Laehn (L)
Governor and Lt. Governor: Zach Lahn and Derek Wulf (R), Rob Sand and Dave Muhlbauer (D)
U.S. House District 1: Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R), Christina Bohannan (D), Michael Bridgford (NP)
U.S. House District 2: Joe Mitchell (R), Lindsay James (D), Rick Stewart (L), Dave Bushaw (NP)
U.S. House District 3: Zach Nunn (R), Sarah Trone Garriott (D)
U.S. House District 4: Chris McGowan (R), Dave Dawson (D)

Districts 2 and 4 are open seats. Their incumbents, Hinson and Randy Feenstra, ran for Senate and governor, respectively (Ballotpedia).

Other statewide offices:

Secretary of State: Paul D. Pate (R), Ryan Peterman (D)
Auditor of State: Chris Cournoyer (R), Taylor Wettach (D)
Treasurer of State: Roby Smith (R), John Norwood (D)
Secretary of Agriculture: Mike Naig (R), Chris Jones (D)
Attorney General: Brenna Bird (R), Nate Willems (D)

Constitutional Amendment 1 would require at least two-thirds of the members elected to each house of the Legislature to pass a bill that raises an income tax rate, including the individual or corporate rate, or creates a new state tax on income. Taxes a local government imposes at its option are exempt. It also sets a one-year limit on lawsuits that challenge how such a bill was passed (Cerro Gordo County ballot list, Ballotpedia). Read the full text on your county's ballot list.

Judges. Cerro Gordo County's list shows retention votes for three Court of Appeals judges: Sharon Soorholtz Greer, John M. Sandy and Julie A. Schumacher. Your ballot may also list district judges up for retention. These vary by judicial district.

Your ballot also has legislative and local races. Ask your county auditor for your sample ballot.

By TFS News. Checked against the linked sources as of 2026-10-19. Corrections: corrections@tfsnews.co.