Iowans can now begin requesting absentee ballots for the 2026 general election, which will be held Tuesday, November 3.
Tuesday, August 25, marked 70 days before Election Day, making absentee ballot request forms available to Iowa voters. Registered voters who want to vote by mail must submit an Absentee Ballot Request Form to their county auditor.
The deadline for county auditors to receive absentee ballot requests is 5 p.m. Monday, October 19, 15 days before the election.
The request form does not need to be notarized or witnessed. Voters must provide identifying information, including their name, date of birth, Iowa residential address and a voter verification number. This can be an Iowa driver’s license or non-operator ID number, or the four-digit PIN found on an Iowa Voter ID Card.
County auditors will begin making absentee ballots available for in-person voting on October 14.
The start of Iowa’s absentee ballot request period comes as the Trump administration continues to face legal challenges over an executive order seeking changes to federal mail-in voting procedures. The U.S. Supreme Court recently allowed the administration to move forward with portions of the order while the legal challenges continue.
For Iowa voters, the current state process remains available through their county auditor. Voters with questions about absentee voting are encouraged to contact their county auditor’s office.
