IOWA ELECTIONS · NOVEMBER 3, 2026
Your ballot choices and your voting plan, together.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Key dates and official tools for Iowa’s November 3, 2026 election.
November 2 is the last day for in-person absentee voting in this election. On November 3, vote at your assigned polling place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central. Contact your county auditor for voting questions.
Find your county auditor →Your auditor must receive your ordinary absentee ballot by 8 p.m. November 3. A postmark is not enough. Do not deliver a completed absentee ballot to a polling place.
Track my absentee ballot →Polls are open 7 a.m.–8 p.m. Central. Your Election Day precinct may differ from an early-voting location.
Look up my polling place →Missed pre-registration? Eligible voters can still register and vote with acceptable proof of identity and residence. Check the documents you need.
Need assistance? Learn about accessible voting equipment, curbside voting and help at the polls. Official accessibility guidance.
Military, overseas and protected-address voters: follow your special return instructions. Official absentee guidance · 2026 voting calendar. Sources reviewed October 29, 2026; check your auditor for local details.
MY BALLOT · CANDIDATES & BALLOT QUESTIONS
Your districts. Your choices. One place to start.
Find your Iowa House and Iowa Senate races, your U.S. House race, and statewide ballot choices. Search your address and confirm the match, or choose district numbers you already know.
01 / FIND YOUR DISTRICTS
Your state representative and state senator are included here. Use either option below to add your districts.
Address search is optional. No account needed.
Selections stay in this open page and clear when it reloads.
Optional lookup · read how your address is transmitted below.
Prefer Iowa’s official service? Open Iowa’s official district lookup (opens in a new tab)
Find your state representative and state senator there. For Congress, expand “Other Elected Officials” and look for your U.S. representative. Return here with the district numbers. The lookup shows current officeholders, who may not be candidates this year.
No address needed. Use district numbers you already know.
02 / CLOSE TO HOME
Your Iowa House, Iowa Senate and U.S. House guide will appear here. Choose districts above to fill in each card.
Iowa House and U.S. House seats are on the regular 2026 ballot. Iowa Senate elections are in odd-numbered districts; even-numbered districts have continuing terms, so those cards explain why there is no regular Senate race this year.
Looking for the people currently representing you? Find your current state legislators (opens in a new tab). Current officeholders are not necessarily this year’s candidates.
STATE LEGISLATURE · DES MOINES
Your state representative race
Choose your Iowa House district to see this part of your guide.
Browse Iowa House districtsSTATE LEGISLATURE · DES MOINES
Your state senator race or continuing term
Choose your Iowa Senate district to see this part of your guide.
Browse Iowa Senate districtsCONGRESS · WASHINGTON, D.C.
Your congressional representative race
Choose your U.S. House district to see this part of your guide.
Browse U.S. House districtsBrowse every district: U.S. Congress · Iowa Legislature
03 / ALL IOWA VOTERS
These races stay in your guide whatever districts you choose. The U.S. Senate race is separate from your Iowa Senate district.
Governor and lieutenant governor are elected together as a ticket.
Compare tickets & priorities04 / STATEWIDE BALLOT QUESTIONS
Income-tax voting requirement
A statewide constitutional question with a Yes or No choice. Read the proposal, what each vote means, and the official ballot language.
Understand Amendment 1Separate Yes or No retention questions for:
There are no opposing candidates in a retention question. Additional trial-judge questions depend on your judicial district.
Judicial biographies & retention guideCandidate information is a dated snapshot, not a live feed. Legislative candidates follow the state list dated August 19, 2026. Follow each race link for its sources and coverage dates.
Official 2026 offices and candidate list · Official district maps
Optional address matches use the Census geocoder and official Iowa district boundaries. Results are estimates, not an official assignment; manual selections are not address-verified. This guide does not verify eligibility, record votes or enter you in the Prediction Tool contest. Confirm later candidate changes, special elections and local choices with your county auditor.
VOTING LOGISTICS · OFFICIAL RESOURCES
Find voting dates, registration, absentee voting and ID requirements. Check official guidance for your situation.
Back to My BallotAll times Central. Confirm local locations, hours and your sample ballot with your county auditor.
Voting dates as of October 11, 2026, per the Iowa Secretary of State’s Voter Ready calendar and 2026 absentee-voting notice.
Military and overseas voters: follow your ballot’s special return instructions and FVAP guidance.
Register through the Secretary of State or your county auditor. Iowa allows registration at your polling place on Election Day if you qualify and bring proof of identity and residence. Registration is available at age 17; you must be 18 by Election Day to vote in this general election.
If your photo ID does not show your current address, bring proof of residence with your name and current address, current within 45 days, such as a utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check or other government document, or residential lease. Read the official Election Day registration instructions, including alternatives when you lack documents.
Any registered Iowa voter may vote absentee. Vote in person at your county auditor’s office through November 2, or at a satellite site your county announces. Hours and locations vary by county. For example, Polk County publishes its own early-voting schedule; use your own county’s schedule.
The deadline to request a mailed absentee ballot passed on October 19 at 5 p.m. Central. If you already have an ordinary mailed absentee ballot, follow its instructions and return it early enough to reach your county auditor by November 3 at 8 p.m. Military, overseas and Safe at Home voters should follow their special return instructions. Official absentee guidance · Safe at Home voting instructions (Iowa Code).
Do not deliver a voted absentee ballot to a polling place. Ordinary absentee voters should return it to their county auditor; Safe at Home participants follow the state commissioner’s special return instructions. You can instead surrender your absentee ballot at your precinct and cast a regular ballot. If you cannot surrender it, ask the precinct officials about a provisional ballot. Official absentee instructions and ballot tracking.
The Iowa Voter Identification Card is accepted even though it has no photo. Any voter may request one from their auditor. For address changes, alternative identification documents or provisional-ballot options, check the official Voter ID FAQ.
Read about Amendment 1 or judicial retention in our statewide ballot guide. For your exact local ballot, contact your county auditor.
No. The October 19 preregistration and mailed-ballot request deadlines have passed. Eligible voters may still register with the required proof of identity and residence, including during in-person absentee voting through November 2 or at their precinct on November 3. Check official registration requirements (opens in a new tab).
Use the Secretary of State’s polling-place lookup. Early-voting locations may differ from your Election Day precinct.
Only use an authorized return option in your ballot instructions. Immediate family, a household member, or a designee for a voter with a disability may qualify. Check with your auditor before arranging a return.
Correction, November 3, 2026: Attestation is available for Election Day registration, not already-registered voters. If you are already registered, you may prove identity and residence using Election Day registration documents. Another voter can no longer attest for an already-registered voter. If you cannot provide the required documents, ask precinct officials for a provisional ballot and follow the notice and your county auditor’s instructions for providing supporting documents by the deadline. Attestation remains available for eligible voters registering on Election Day; ask precinct officials about the requirements. Official Election Day guidance · 2026 attestation update.
NOVEMBER 3 & BEYOND
Where to look—and what the numbers mean.
This is a guide to official sources, not a live results feed. The state portal may not show 2026 returns before election night.
Election-night totals are preliminary. Counties report at different times; an early lead is not a final result.
A news organization’s determination that a candidate has won is its own assessment—not official certification.
County canvasses formally review the returns. State-level procedures follow for applicable races. Certification comes through the official process, not a website’s election-night tally.
Read more: Iowa’s canvass and results process · How AP calls races. Source review: October 29, 2026.