Iowans who didn’t register to vote can still do so on this Election Day. Linn County Auditor Joel Miller says if you’re not already on the voter rolls, you’ll need to bring the right identification to your polling place.
“You basically need to prove who you are and where you live,” Miller said. “The easiest way is to have a photo ID that’s not expired, either from an employer or school or your driver’s license.” Marilyn Jo Drake is the commissioner of elections for Pottawattamie County.
She says a recent utility bill or bank statement can be used as proof of current address. “You can also use a friend who knows you who’s registered in your precinct,” Drake said. If you don’t have the right documents to register on Election Day, another registered voter from your precinct can vouch for you.
In Linn County, Miller expects as many as two dozen people per precinct to register on-site before voting today. And Miller said voters who’ve received absentee ballots, but still haven’t turned them in, can bring them to their local auditor’s office today.
“Get that ballot back because we don’t want anyone to accuse us of doing something to a ballot besides counting it,” Miller said. Mail-in ballots received after Election Day must be postmarked by November 5 to be counted. Polls are open in Iowa from 7 A.M. to 9 P.M. today.
More information about acceptable documentation for registering to vote at a polling site is available through the Iowa Secretary of State’s office.