(Iowa Capital Dispatch) –  Today (Tuesday, Nov. 4th) is Election Day in Iowa for 2025 local elections. The Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. throughout the state. More information about local election candidates, ballot measures and results will be available on local county auditor’s websites. Find your county auditor using a list compiled by the Iowa State Association of County Auditors here.

Here’s what you should know about how to vote in the Tuesday elections.

Where do I vote?

Voters can find their precinct polling locations using the Iowa Secretary of State’s website.

Who can vote in Iowa?

In order to participate in Iowa elections, people must register to vote. A qualified voter in Iowa must be:

• An Iowa resident.
• A U.S. citizen.
• 18 years old by Election Day.

There are also restrictions on voting for certain individuals in Iowa. Voters cannot be:

• A convicted felon, unless their voting rights have been restored.
• Judged mentally incompetent to vote by a court.
• Claiming the right to vote in any other place.

A person who is eligible to vote but is not yet a registered voter has the option to register on Election Day at their precinct voting location. In order to register, a qualified voter must provide proof of identity using ID like an Iowa driver’s license, non-operator’s ID or U.S. passport, as well as proof of residence using documents like a residential lease, paycheck or utility bill listing their current address.

Check your voter registration status online here.

I’m registered to vote. What do I need to bring to the polls?

Voters who are already registered to vote still need to bring a form of identification with them to their polling place in order to participate. Accepted forms of identification include:

• 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

If a person does not have a valid ID when they go to vote, they are still allowed to cast a ballot if another registered voter at the precinct attests for their identity. Voters can also bring Election Day registration documents to confirm their identity. People who do not have accepted IDs or a person willing to attest for them can cast a provisional ballot. People who cast provisional ballots will have their voter registration record and related evidence reviewed by the absentee and special voters’ precinct board.

I have an absentee ballot that I haven’t returned. What should I do?

Iowans who have sent in their absentee ballots can track the ballot’s status on the Secretary of State’s website. But for people who have not yet returned their ballot, there’s still time to participate in this year’s election. Absentee ballots can be returned to a voter’s local county auditor’s office by 8 p.m. today (Election Day) in order to be valid. The ballots cannot be delivered to precinct polling locations.

If a voter cannot go themselves to return the ballot, Iowa has some restrictions on who can return it in their stead — voters can designate another person to return their absentee ballot if they are an immediate family member or member of the household. Voters with disabilities can also designate someone outside of these categories to return their ballot.

There are also options available for people who have requested — but not returned — absentee ballots to vote in person on Election Day. Voters can cast regular ballots if they bring in their absentee ballot to the precinct polling place and surrender it. If a person requested an absentee ballot but cannot return it, they are allowed to cast a provisional ballot.