The Daily Iowan
The Daily Iowan
The Daily Iowan's guide to the 2020 general election
The COVID-19 pandemic is pushing the boundaries of what a typical general election looks like. With Iowa’s spike in COVID-19 cases, Johnson County auditor Travis Weipert encourages voters to cast mail-in ballots if they can to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
Whether this is your first time voting in an election or you are returning to the polls, The Daily Iowan has curated a guide to help voters know the ins and outs of voting in the 2020 election. Read it in print here.
Registering to vote
- College students can register to vote in their hometowns or in the city where their university is located if they have an Iowa address while away from their hometown, including students in the residence halls.
- You can check to see if or where you are registered to vote on the UI Hawk the Vote website — vote.uiowa.edu.
- In order to register to vote, you must provide a valid form of identification such as an Iowa Voter ID Card, Iowa driver’s license, a U.S. passport, or a US Military ID. Student ID cards do not count as a valid ID at the polls because the University of Iowa does not provide ID cards that include an expiration date.
- Students can order a temporary student ID that includes an expiration date by contacting the University ID Card Program. Because of COVID-19 guidelines, students will need to call the office ahead of time to schedule an appointment to pick up the temporary ID card.
- How to register to vote:
- If you have an Iowa driver’s license:
- You can register to vote online through the Iowa Department of Transportation
- If you do not have an Iowa driver’s license:
- You can still register to vote in Iowa by providing proof of an Iowa address. You can show utility bills or lease statements, which you can provide as a photo or screenshot on Election Day at the polls.
- If you want to register before Election Day, you can download a voter registration form from the Iowa Secretary of State website, and either mail it in or drop it off to the auditor’s office at 913 S Dubuque St #101, Iowa City, IA 52240.
- If you have an Iowa driver’s license:
When can I register to vote?
Voters can register to vote ahead of Election Day up until Oct. 24. Otherwise, voters can register on Election Day. To do that, voters must provide valid ID and proof of Iowa residence. An out-of-state driver’s license does count as a valid ID.
Voting in person on Election Day
- On Election Day, if voting in person, you must bring a valid form of identification such as an Iowa driver’s license, U.S. passport, or a US Military ID card.
- Voters can find their precinct location through their county auditor’s website.
- Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 9 p.m. in every county.
- Read more on how to vote on Election Day here.
Voting absentee/ by mail-in ballot
- You must first fill out a ballot-request form in order to receive the absentee ballot — requests can be made until Oct. 24.
- Ballot-request forms can be found at the county auditor’s office, 913 South Dubuque Street, or one can be printed out from the Johnson County auditor’s website. Every Iowan who is registered to vote will be receiving a request form from the Iowa Secretary of State to the address they are currently registered at throughout the month of October.
- Oct. 5 is the day auditors will begin mailing ballots once you have submitted your request.
- Nov. 2, the day before Election Day, is the deadline for mailing back ballots. Ballots need to be postmarked by this date to be counted.
- Nov. 9 or the Monday after the election, is the deadline for the county auditor’s office to receive ballots. Ballots that arrive after that date will not be counted.
- You can also drop off your mail-in ballot at the Johnson County auditor’s office starting Oct. 5 — auditors encourage dropping off your ballot as soon as possible.
- You can track your ballot through the Secretary of State’s website and see when it arrives at the office.
- If you had intended to vote by mail but did not send the ballot in time, you can go to your in-person precinct location and surrender the ballot there and instead vote in person.
“It’s your right to vote and we really encourage that people vote early because it keeps people safe. If we can get as many people voting early or by mail it would be greatly appreciated,” Travis Weipert, Johnson County auditor said.
Polling Locations
Hover over the polling locations for Iowa City, Coralville, and North Liberty to see the address.
Check the Johnson County website for the full list of polling places in the county.
Satellite early voting locations
Voters who wish to vote early can cast their vote in-person at these locations during their designated times and dates.
Clear Creek Amana West Campus Building
331 W. Marengo Rd., Tiffin
Monday, October 12, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Swisher Public Library
72 2nd St. SE
Tuesday, October 13, 2 – 6 p.m.
Coralville Public Library
1401 5th St., Coralville
Wednesday, October 14, Thursday, October 15 and Friday, October 16, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Saturday, October 17, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Sunday, October 18, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Solon Public Library
320 W. Main St., Solon
Wednesday, October 14, 2 – 6 p.m.
North Liberty Community Library
520 W. Cherry St., North Liberty
Saturday, October 17, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Sunday, October 18, 1 – 4 p.m.
Iowa City Public Library
123 S. Linn St.
Monday, October 19 through Friday, October 23, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Saturday, October 24, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Monday, October 26 through Thursday, October 29, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Friday, October 30, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday, October 31, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Iowa Memorial Union
125 N. Madison St., Iowa City, Hubbard Lounge
Monday, October 19 through Friday, October 23, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Meet the candidates
Click to learn more about the candidates running in national, state, and local elections.
Related: Meet the 2020 candidates
The Electoral College
President Donald Trump was one of five U.S. presidents that won the presidency after losing the popular vote. Since 2016, many politicians and voters have called for a change to the Electoral College system that would ensure a president wins by a more direct vote. We broke down what exactly the Electoral College is, and why we have it. Read the whole story here.
When will we know who won?
Amid a murky forecast for the presidential election and concerns that a winner may take weeks to call nationally, Iowa officials hope that a rule change will allow for a more streamlined reporting process. Read the whole story here.