Political Voices – Elections and Voter Participation
Make Your Vote Count by Making a Plan to Vote Today
By Rita Hart, Chair of the Iowa Democratic Party
The State of Iowa and our county auditors have a reputation for always holding a professionally conducted election process and I have every confidence that this year’s midterm election will be conducted as honestly, fairly, and efficiently as it has in the past.
Iowans have an impressive tradition of high voter participation, with 74 percent of eligible voters casting their ballots in 2024. Iowans understand that the best way we can maintain and preserve our right to vote is to actually cast a ballot.
Iowans should have absolute confidence in the integrity of the Iowa system as they exercise their constitutional right to vote. Thankfully, iwillvote.com makes it easy for anyone to make a plan to vote and find individual polling places.
Iowans have choices in their preferred way to vote as they can vote early in-person, on Election Day, or by mail.
Auditor’s offices are open for in-person absentee voting during regular business hours between October 14 and November 2, and on Saturday, October 31.
Voting early only takes a few minutes, and for urban and suburban voters, it’s easy to get done between running errands and picking up groceries.
It’s smart to vote early because one never knows what weather Election Day may bring our way. I know that it’s nice to see your friends and neighbors on Election Day, but a vote in your hand is worth going to the polling place on a nice day instead of taking the chance that we could get a blizzard the first week of November!
Go to iwillvote.com/IA to find your nearest early voting location and hours.
You can also vote at your precinct polling location on Election Day – Tuesday November 3. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. You can find your polling location at iwillvote.com/IA
If you’ve requested an absentee ballot, you can either return it in-person at your county auditor’s office or put it in the mail.
If you mail in your absentee ballot, please make sure it is in the mail by no later than October 24. To make sure your absentee ballot is returned in time to be counted, you can also return your completed ballot to the county auditor’s office in person before Election Day.
Anyone who has questions about voting can call the Iowa Democratic Party’s voter protection hotline at (515) 207-9455. Voting is easy and is the only way to make your voice heard, which is why we at the Iowa Democratic Party are happy to help ensure you have what you’ll need at your polling place.
If you are tired of the direction Iowa has been headed under Republican leadership for the last decade – with high prices, rising cancer rates and our public schools falling in national rankings – make sure you cast your ballot and vote for the change we all need.
The ballot is filled with Democratic candidates who are running for office because they are ready to show up, listen to the voters, and turn our state around to lower costs, restore educational excellence, provide access to better health care, and improve opportunities for all Iowans — urban, suburban, and rural.
Please exercise your right to vote for better representation and better results for Iowa’s future.
Secure elections depend on informed, engaged voters
By Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann
As Iowa heads toward the November 3 general election, our priorities are clear: protect the integrity of our elections and ensure every eligible Iowan has the opportunity to vote.
Voters deserve confidence that election laws are being followed, ballots are counted accurately, and the process is fair and transparent. They also deserve clear information about when, where, and how they can cast their ballots.
Thanks to the work of election officials across the state, including Secretary of State Paul Pate, Iowa has established secure election procedures designed to produce accurate and timely results. We should continue strengthening that system through preparation, accountability, transparency, and public participation.
That includes recruiting and training precinct election officials, poll watchers, and special monitors. The Republican Party of Iowa is working to ensure Republicans are represented throughout the process and that observers understand how to identify, document, and report potential irregularities through the proper channels.
We have also established an election hotline and partnered with the Republican National Lawyers Association to provide legal support and respond to legitimate concerns. Election safeguards work best when trained people are watching the process, understand the law, and know what to do when questions arise.
Election integrity must go hand in hand with informed voter participation. Iowans work hard, raise families, and balance countless responsibilities. They should know the options available to them and the deadlines they need to meet.
In Iowa, voters can cast an absentee ballot by mail, vote early in person at their county auditor’s office, or vote at their polling place on Election Day. To make a plan to vote, visit vote.iowagop.org.
Absentee ballot request forms must be received by your county auditor by 5 p.m. on Monday, October 19. Completed absentee ballots must be received by the county auditor’s office by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3. Voters returning ballots by mail should do so as early as possible. Those concerned that their ballots may not arrive in time can deliver them to their county auditor’s office.
A completed absentee ballot cannot be turned in at an Election Day polling place. However, voters may surrender their absentee ballot at their polling place and receive a new ballot to vote.
Early in-person voting begins Wednesday, October 14, at county auditors’ offices. The final day to vote early in person is Monday, November 2, although hours may vary by county. Contact information for every county auditor is available at sos.iowa.gov/auditors.
On Election Day, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Anyone who suspects election fraud or other irregularities can submit a report at protectthevote.com/report-fraud/iowa.
Strong elections require both public confidence and public participation. Iowa must continue enforcing its election laws, training election workers and observers, providing legal resources to address concerns, and giving voters accurate information.
The right to vote in a free and secure election is one of our most important rights as Americans. Protecting that right requires all of us to participate.
My message to Iowa Republicans is simple: Make a plan and make your voice heard. Whether you vote absentee, early in person, or at the polls on November 3, vote Republican up and down the ballot.