National Voter Registration Month, election law changes

Guest column
By: 
Whitney Hein
Jones Co. Auditor & Commissioner of Elections

     County Auditor Whitney Hein is encouraging Iowans to celebrate National Voter Registration Month in September by registering to vote. For those who are already registered, it is important to make sure your information is current. Tuesday, Sept. 28 is National Voter Registration Day.

     To check your voter registration status, register to vote, or update your information, visit VoterReady.Iowa.gov or www.jonescountyiowaelections.gov. To register to vote in Iowa, you must be at least 17 years old.

     The 2021 Iowa Legislature session passed several changes to Iowa’s election law. Last month’s article, by Hein, detailed the law changes to absentee voting. In honor of National Voter Registration Month, below are important law changes relating to voter registration and law changes related to voting at the polls on Election Day.

     Voters must register to vote 15 days or more before the election to appear on the voter register on Election Day. For the Nov. 2, 2021, election, the deadline to register to vote is 5 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 18, 2021. Voters may still register to vote on Election Day, or when voting absentee in person, with both proof of identity and proof of residence.

     When a registered voter is attesting to the identity and residency of a voter unable to present required forms of identification, the attesting voter must present his/her own required form of identification.

     A voter who has moved and has therefore been sent mail by the County Auditor to inquire of their proper address, and who did not vote in the most recent general election (formerly the last two general elections), shall be marked inactive (unless they were not 18 years old at the time of the most recent general election). Registrations of inactive voters will not be cancelled until two more general elections pass with no voter activity. 

     On Election Day, the polls will close at 8 p.m. for all elections. This time was formerly 9 p.m.

     For a provisional ballot to be counted, the voter must either provide the necessary identification at the polling place before it closes at 8 p.m. or provide it at the Auditor’s Office by noon on the following Monday.

     Employers must allow employees two consecutive hours to vote on Election Day, if they do not already have two consecutive hours off during the time the polls are open.

     Please contact the Jones County Auditor’s Office at 319-462-2282 with any questions. Information can also be found on the Jones County Election website at www.jonescountyiowaelections.gov.

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