Find the answers to questions about voting and elections in Johnson County here. We're happy to be a resource for residents to feel informed and prepared for upcoming elections. If you have further questions that you can't find the answers to here, please contact out department.

Voting on Election Day

How is a polling place operated?

Each precinct has at least three poll workers or "precinct election officials," who cannot all be members of the same party. Poll workers are temporary employees of our office. It is their job to be sure the voting proceeds smoothly and according to law.

There may also be poll watchers representing candidates, parties, or ballot issues. They do not work for our office and they need to obey election laws. No campaigning of any sort is permitted within 300 feet of the outside entrance to the polling place or a satellite voting station. Usually, poll watchers simply keep track of who has voted. Candidates may not be at a polling place unless they are voting.

You will be asked your name and address and, if your name appears on the electronic poll book, you will sign an eligibility slip and then proceed to vote.

In very large elections such as general elections, there may be exit pollers from news organizations. They must stay outside the polling place and can only interview people who have already voted. You may choose whether or not to talk to exit pollers or other journalists.

What voting equipment is used at the polls?

When you vote in Johnson County, you receive a paper ballot to mark your choices by filling in the oval next to each of your selections. Once your ballot is complete, it is inserted into a tabulator for counting. In Johnson County, the DS200 precinct scanner and tabulator is used in each polling place. This equipment is an optical scan tabulator from Election Systems and Software (ES&S).

Voters may choose to use an ES&S Express Vote ballot marking device. The Express Vote has a touch screen and includes a number of options for voters with disabilities to mark a secret ballot without assistance, including an audio ballot. The Express Vote does NOT count votes - it produces a printed ballot that the voter feeds into the same DS200 scanner that reads the pre-printed ballots.

Do I need identification when I go to vote?

Starting in 2018, voters are asked to show their ID before voting at the polls. Valid IDs are a driver's license, non-driver's ID, passport, military ID, veterans ID, tribal ID, or a Voter ID Card with a PIN number mailed to voters who do not have an Iowa license or non-driver ID. (Check your card in advance. Cards mailed to voters who do have an Iowa license or non-driver ID will say "This notice will not be accepted as identification at the polls.")

What if I need to make registration changes on Election Day?

If you are registering to vote in Johnson County for the first time on Election Day, or after the pre-registration deadline (15 days before the election), you will need to use the Election Day registration procedure and provide the required identification and proof of address. Once you do this, you will be able to vote a regular ballot.

If you are changing your address at the polls, go to the polling place for your NEW address. You will be asked for ID and proof of address, and then you can re-register at your new address and vote a regular ballot.

If your name is not on the system and you believe that you are eligible to vote, or if there is some other issue preventing you from voting, you may vote a provisional ballot. You will be asked to fill out a registration form and explain in writing why you feel you should be eligible to vote in that precinct. After the election, the absentee board will review your paperwork, before opening the ballot envelope, and determine whether or not your vote should be counted. If not, your ballot will not be opened and you will be sent a notice that your vote was not counted.

Can I vote at any polling place I want to on Election Day?

No. On Election Day, you can only vote at the precinct where you live. Under state law, provisional ballots cast at the wrong precinct are not counted.

Find your voting precinct

Can I bring a list or sample ballot into the booth with me?

You may bring marked sample ballots or lists into the polls to help you remember how you want to vote. You may not leave them in the voting booths or show them to other voters in line.

What if I make a mistake?

You can request another ballot. You will be asked to seal your spoiled ballot in an envelope and will receive a new ballot. If you are having difficulty marking your ballot, you can ask for help or you can use our handicap accessible ballot marking machine (anyone may use it).

If you make a mistake on a mailing absentee ballot, return the ballot as you would if you had voted it and write "Spoiled, request new ballot" on the outside. (Since we can't open ballots until very close to Election Day, we don't see notes written inside your envelope until it's too late.) You will be mailed another ballot. You may also bring the spoiled mailed ballot to our office and vote your new ballot in person.

How can I vote for someone not listed on the ballot?

There are write-in slots for each office on the ballot in every elections (except yes or no questions). In order for your write-in vote to count, you must complete the write-in line AND fill in the oval.

Write-in votes are hand counted by poll workers at the end of a very long Election Day. We encourage you to take your right to cast a write-in vote seriously. Write-in results are only reported if they decide the winner or if the votes for any one person make up more than five percent of the vote. Other write-ins are reported as "scattered."

What time are the polls the busiest?

The peak voting times are usually early in the morning, the noon hour, and after 5 p.m. If you vote at a school, arrival and dismissal time can also be busy.

Can I still vote if I'm wearing a t-shirt for my candidate?

We don't encourage it, but in Iowa, you have the right to wear a campaign shirt or button while you are voting or waiting in line. However, after you vote, it's considered campaigning, and you need to cover up, change, or leave right away.

What happens if I am in line when the polls close?

If you are in line when the polls close, you will be allowed to vote.

How are the votes counted?

Johnson County has a "precinct count" system, which means ballots are counted by machines in each precinct. When the polls close, the workers at each precinct print out the results. The poll workers then report the results by modem.

Results will be posted on this website. We post a summary of all races, precinct by precinct returns on most contested races, turnout statistics, and early voting statistics. Once final, these results remain on our website for five (5) years as a historic record. We store all past election results internally, so please contact our office to request election results from a older year.

Note that the results on Election Night are unofficial. Minor changes in results almost always occur after Election Night as provisional ballots are researched and (if valid) counted.

All results are unofficial until the canvass, which is the formal certification of results by the members of the Board of Supervisors and is usually about a week after the election.

How are absentee ballots processed and counted?

When our office receives a mailed absentee ballot, we look for mistakes like open envelopes or missing signatures. If there are any problems, we contact voters so they can fix mistakes.

All absentee and early ballots remain in secrecy folders until counted. Counting cannot begin until the day before the election. Results are not announced until the polls are closed.

Under a new change in Iowa law, all ballots must arrive at our office by the time the polls close, at 8 PM Election Day. (Pending court action or proposed federal legislation may change this). The only exceptions are for overseas and military voters, or persons in the state's domestic violence survivor Safe At Home program.

Voter Registration

Who can register to vote?

U.S. citizens who reside in Johnson County are eligible to register to vote in the county. You may register at age 17, but you must be 18 years old to vote in most elections. If you will be 18 years old by the date of the general election, you may vote in the preceding primary election.

How do I register to vote?

You may register to vote by mail by completing an online application, or by printing a paper voter registration application and returning it by mail or in-person to our office. (If you are unable to print a form, we can mail you one).

You may also register to vote in person at the Auditor's Office during business hours, 7:45 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Monday - Friday.

After you register to vote, you will receive a voter card by mail which lists your precinct, polling place, and legislative districts. If your card is misplaced, new cards are available at no charge. By law cards must be mailed; please allow up to two weeks for delivery. Our office normally mails cards once a week.

If you have moved or are registering in the county for the first time, we have to mail your card to confirm your address. We can print and give you a card at our office only you have previously registered and not moved.

NOTE: The University of Iowa Registrar's office DOES NOT require voter cards for persons applying for in-state tuition. Simply register to vote, and check the box on the application form indicating you have registered to vote in Iowa.

How do I change my address or re-register?

You can update your address online, at our office, or by mail. We can't take address changes over the phone or by email.

You may also change your address when voting early, or at the polls on Election Day. To change your address on Election Day, to to your new polling place and bring a photo ID (one with your old address is OK) and proof of your new address. You may look up your polling place here or call the Auditor's Office (319-356-6004). You'll save time on Election Day if you update your registration ahead of time.

If you move from Johnson County to another county or state, you must re-register in your new community. When you re-register, indicate on your application that you were previously registered in Johnson County, Iowa, so officials can notify us to remove your name from our rolls.

Where do I send my voters registration application after I fill it out?

If you are a resident of Johnson County, bring or send it to our office:

Johnson County Auditor
913 S. Dubuque St. Suite 101
Iowa City, IA 52240

If you are not a Johnson County resident, our office can tell you where to send your registration.

Does registering to vote mean I'll get jury duty?

You may be called for jury duty even if you are not registered to vote, since jury lists are compiled from driver's license record in addition to voter registration lists. For more information about jury duty, contact the Johnson County Clerk of Court, 319-356-6060.

Voting Absentee

Who may vote an absentee ballot?

Any registered voter may vote early in an election. There are three (3) ways to vote early:

• At the Auditor's Office during business hours, 7:45 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
• To vote by mail, send a signed request to the Auditor's Office. Absentee Ballot Request Form
• There may be satellite early voting stations around Johnson County. Under a new change in state law, our office can no longer schedule these sites, and they must be petitioned by the public. C0ntact our office for more information.

What information must be included in my application?

Include your printed name, your Johnson County address, the address you want the absentee ballot sent to (if different than your registration address), and the date and name of the election (for example, "November 6 general election"). In addition, you must sign and date your application.

Voters must also include an ID number. For most voters this will be your Iowa drivers license number. Voters who do not have an Iowa license will be sent a special voter card that includes a PIN number, and must use the PIN number on their request form. If you have an Iowa driver's license, you will likely NOT have a PIN number on your voter card.

For partisan primary elections, you must include your party affiliation. Note: a city primary (October, odd-numbered years, if needed) is not a partisan primary and party affiliation is not required.