Register to Vote

The Iowa Secretary of State has made the official voter registration available online in a pdf format. You may print this online form and fill it out by hand, please be sure to sign the form before you send it to your county auditor.

• English voter registration form
• Guidelines for Registering Voters
• Español Aplicacion para el registro de votacion
• Vietnamese Voter Registration For
• Laotian Voter Registration Form
• Bosnian Voter Registration Form
• Absentee Voting for Iowans who are in the Military or Overseas
• Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) - Military & Overseas

If you would like a hard copy of any of the forms above, please call the Secretary of State's Office at 515-281-5760 or 888-SOS-VOTE (888-767-8683).

The Secretary of State has also made the Application for an Absentee Ballot available on the web please print this off and fill it out and mail it according to the instructions on the form. To locate your county auditor's office click here.

Restoration of Rights

On July 4, 2005 Governor Tom Vilsack signed Executive Order 42, which automatically restores the right to hold public office and register to vote to felons who have completed their sentence, probation and parole. If you are an ex-felon and you have finished your sentence, probation and parole the Executive Order 42 serves as your restoration of rights. You need to register to vote by filling out an Iowa voter registration form and sending it to your county auditor or registering at the Department of Transportation.

Below is a link to the full text of Executive Order 42. Also below is a document that has frequently asked questions about Executive Order 42.

• Executive Order 42
• Frequently Asked Questions

You may register to vote if:

1. You are a citizen of the United States.
2. You are a resident of Iowa.
3. You will be at least 18 years old on or before election day.

NOTE: If you are 17½ years old, you may register to vote, but your registration will not be effective until your 18th birthday.

If You Move

If you move within the county where you are registered to vote, you may change your address before the close of registration:

1. By notifying the county auditor in writing. Include your full name as it appears on the voter registration records, your old and new addresses, and your signature. If more than one person is submitting a change, each person must sign the notice.
2. By completing a new registration form.
3. By making the change in person at the county auditor's office or other registration sites.