Polls open Tuesday in Iowa's June primary to determine which candidates will be on the Nov. 5 ballot for Democrats, Republicans and Libertarians in federal, legislative and local races.
Iowa has a closed primary election, which means voters must be registered with the Democratic, Republican or Libertarian Party to participate. Voters can change their party affiliation anytime before Election Day or at their polling place on Election Day.
As of Thursday evening, nearly 21,000 Iowans had returned an absentee ballot of the more than 24,000 issued, according to the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office. That’s far below the more than 73,000 Iowans who voted absentee in the June 2022 primary.
More than 357,000 Iowans, or about 16% of all registered voters, participated in the June 7, 2022, primary — the second-highest turnout in since 1994. The highest primary turnout in Iowa, by a wide margin, was in 2020, when more than 529,000 ballots were cast.
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As of May 1, Iowa had about 2.2 million registered voters. Of those, about 30% were Democrats, 35% were Republicans, and 35% were no-party voters.
In the 2022 primary, turnout in Iowa was about 7% of registered Democrats and about 9% of registered Republicans. About 25% of the Democrats and 16% of the Republicans cast absentee ballots before the primary election.
How to I register to vote in the June primary?
The deadline to register to vote ahead of the June 4 primary was May 20. You can check whether you’re registered to vote at the Iowa Secretary of State’s website.
If you missed the deadline, you still can register to vote on Election Day. You must bring a valid photo ID and proof of residence — like a utility bill — if your photo ID does not contain your current address.
How do I return my absentee ballot?
You can return an absentee ballot by mail, at a ballot drop box, or by dropping it off at your county auditor’s office.
Mailed absentee ballots must be received by the county auditor’s office by the time polls close at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Absentee ballots cannot be returned to a polling place on Election Day. If voters have not returned their absentee ballot, they have three options:
- Deliver their absentee ballot to the county auditor's office before the polls close on Election Day.
- Surrender their absentee ballot at the polls and vote a regular ballot.
- Vote a provisional ballot at the polls if they are unable to surrender their absentee ballot.
You can keep track of your absentee ballot using a tool on the Iowa Secretary of State’s website.
Can I vote early in person?
You can vote early in person without mailing an absentee ballot request form. Early in-person voting is open through Monday.
The early voting hours vary by county, but many county auditors offer early voting at their office. Some counties offer satellite early voting locations.
You will need the same information to vote early as you do for an absentee ballot, including your residential address and driver’s license or voter ID number.
How do I vote on Election Day?
The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
You can find your polling place at the Iowa Secretary of State’s website or from your local auditor.
Iowa requires voters to show a valid, current photo ID with an expiration date to vote on Election Day. If you do not have a valid ID, you can have another registered voter attest to your identity, or provide proof of identity and residence using Election Day registration documents.
The following are acceptable IDs to present at a polling location for those who lack an Iowa driver’s license:
- Iowa non-operator ID
- Out-of-state driver’s license or non-operator ID
- U.S. passport
- U.S. military or veteran ID
- ID card issued by employer
- Student ID issued by Iowa high school or college
- Tribal ID card/document
Who is on the ballot in the primary election?
Three of Iowa’s four congressional districts have primary elections this year:
- Republican incumbent Mariannette Miller-Meeks in Iowa’s 1st District is challenged by Quad-Cities prayer breakfast organizer David Pautsch.
- Incumbent GOP U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, who represents the 4th District, is facing a primary challenge from Republican Kevin Virgil.
- Democrats Lanon Baccam and Melissa Vine are facing off to challenge Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn in Iowa’s 3rd District.
There are other primary races for seats in the Iowa Legislature and for local county offices.
In Iowa state primaries, a candidate must receive at least 35% of the vote to win their party’s nomination. If not, the nominees are chosen at party conventions. This applies only to races with three or more candidates, which on Tuesday includes the Republican primary in state Senate District 38 and the Democratic primaries in state House Districts 34 and 53.
You can find sample ballots for your local races at your county auditor’s website.
There are no statewide primary elections this year. The governor and other statewide executives aren’t on the ballot until 2026, and neither of Iowa’s Republican U.S. senators, Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, is up for re-election.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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