Voting FAQ’s

Students+can+visit+the+Story+County+website+to+receive+information+about+registering+to+vote%2C+sending+in+absentee+ballots+and+the+election+in+general.

Photo by Katherine Kealey/Iowa State Daily

Students can visit the Story County website to receive information about registering to vote, sending in absentee ballots and the election in general.

The Daily caught up with Karen Kedrowski, the director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center, to answer some questions about voter registration.

Where can I go to get registered to vote on campus?

Students can find voter registration boxes popping up around common areas on campus where they can fill out a registration form, but students can also find Cyclone Votes at the Memorial Union with voter registration sessions being offered Sept. 12-13 and Oct. 24-25.

Students who are not from Iowa but wish to get registered for their elections should register with a member of Cyclone Votes during their aforementioned registration sessions at the Memorial Union, as they will offer resources for assistance.

Are there classes on election day?

While classes proceed as usual on election day, the Faculty Senate, as well as Student Government, passed resolutions last spring semester which encourage faculty to accommodate student absences on election day.

The resolution does not explicitly limit what instructors can and can not do– discretion completely lies with the instructor.

 

When are absentee ballot deadlines?

In Iowa, you can request an absentee ballot as early as August 30– not any time before then. Absentee ballots can not be submitted to your local county auditor until Oct. 19.

“If you’re voting absentee–by mail– you should get it in the mail by October 24, to be absolutely positively sure that it arrives on time,” Kedrowski said.

The drop-dead date to turn in an absentee ballot is 8 p.m. on November 8.

“It has to be at the county auditor’s office before the quote polls close on election day,” Kedrowski said.

 

Other deadlines

The final day to pre-register to vote is Oct. 24. October 24 is also the “worry-free” mail-in ballot deadline. To register on election day, you are required to produce proof of residence as well as a valid form of identification.