SINCE YOU LAST VOTED…

Since 2020, it’s become harder to cast your ballot in Iowa. Here are the changes you need to pay attention to:

When making a plan to vote…

• The absentee ballot request period has been shortened – you’ll now need to request it at least fifteen days before the election (it used to be ten). 
• Early voting now begins nine days later than it used to (it now starts twenty days before Election Day).
• The absentee ballot deadline is now slightly earlier – they must be RECEIVED by the close of polls on Election Day instead of just being postmarked the day before.
• Only immediate family members can return your ballot for you (including placing it in a dropbox).

When casting your vote…

• Ballot tracking is now available online and much better organized than it used to be. 
• Polls now close at 8:00pm, so you’ll have to get out sooner (it used to be 9pm). 
• You can now validate a provisional ballot until the Monday after Election Day.
• Blind and disabled voters can no longer have a caregiver return their absentee ballot for them; instead, they’ll need to designate a deliverer through a form from the county election commissioner.
• If you’re attesting to the ID of someone at the polls who doesn’t have their ID, you must present your own ID. (Phew, that was confusing – in short, just have your ID on you when you vote or when you go with others who are voting!)

Moving forward…

• Iowa’s being way more intense about purging inactive voters than they used to be – if you skip a general election, you’ll be marked as inactive and get a notice from the state government (which you should most definitely respond to).