Federal and state laws require polling places to be accessible to individuals with disabilities. Additionally, every polling place is equipped with a ballot marking device to allow persons with disabilities to vote privately and independently.
If you or a family member needs special assistance you may ask for help from a precinct election officials at the polls or may call your county auditor for additional assistance options.
Yes! You may request an absentee ballot by printing out a request form and mailing it to your county auditor. Please note, all absentee ballot by mail requests are due to the county auditor at 5:00 p.m. on October 24.
Yes!
Precinct election officials are trained to assist you on Election Day. There are multiple ways that voters can cast their ballot on Election Day. Explore the options below for what best suits you for voting at the polls.
Yes!
Every precinct in Iowa offers curbside voting, both on election day and at the county auditor’s office during in-person absentee voting.
You may request assistance for reading or marking a ballot. Any voter may declare upon oath that the voter is blind, cannot read the English language, or is, by reason of any physical disability, unable to cast a vote without assistance.
Voters may choose anyone to assist them, except their employer, employer’s agent or an officer/agent of their union. Voters may also request assistance from a precinct election official. Two precinct officials, one from each political party, may assist. If a person other than the precinct officials assist the voter, the person assisting the voter must sign the Affidavit of Voter Requesting Assistance.
Each polling place has a voter assist terminal. This device is available for any voter. To mark their ballot, voters use features on the machine such as a touch screen, an audio component, and or a sip and puff element to select their candidates. The device will then mark their ballot according to their selections and print it for tabulation.
A voter using an accessible voting machine may also request assistance if they wish. If you need help, ask a precinct election official at your polling location and they will assist you.
If you are unable to enter the building where the polling place is located because of a disability, two precinct election officials, one from each political party, will take a ballot and election supplies outside to the voter. The voter may then mark the ballot in the voter’s vehicle. The voter must sign the Affidavit of Voter Requesting Assistance and return the ballot to the precinct election officials for tabulation.
It is not required, but would be helpful to contact the county auditor’s office to let them know that you will be voting curbside.
Service · Participation · Integrity
Office of the Iowa Secretary of State
State Capitol · Des Moines, IA 50319
515.281.0145
