Elections and Voting Register to Vote

To register to vote in Iowa you must be:

A U.S. Citizen
A resident of Iowa
At least 17 years old (must turn 18 by Election Day to vote)

You cannot vote in Iowa if you have been convicted of a felony (unless your rights have been restored), have been judged to be mentally incompetent to vote by a court, or claim the right to vote in another state.

Register to Vote Online

You can now register to vote or update your voter registration online through the Iowa DOT if you have an Iowa Driver's License or state-issued non-operator's identification.

Download a Printable Voter Registration Form

Download a voter registration form to complete and return to the Marion County Auditor at the County Courthouse, 214 E Main Street, Knoxville, IA 50138.

Verify that You are Registered to Vote

Visit the Iowa Secretary of State's website to verify that you are registered to vote and that your information is current.

Election Day Registration

You may register and vote on election day. To do so, you first must go to the correct polling place for your current address on election day.

If you are unsure of your polling place, Find Your Precinct/Polling Place.

At the polling place, you must prove both who you are and where you live. The best way to do this is with your valid Iowa driver’s license with your current address printed on it.

Proof of ID

If you do not have an Iowa driver’s license, you may use a photo ID that is current, valid, and contain an expiration date. The following are acceptable IDs:

Iowa non-driver ID card
Out-of-state driver's license or non-driver ID card
U.S. passport
U.S. military ID
ID card issued by employer
Student ID issued by Iowa high school or college
Tribal ID

Proof of Residence

If your photo ID does not contain your current address, you may use another document to prove where you live if it contains your name and current address. The following are acceptable proofs of residence:

Residential lease
Utility bill (including a cell phone bill)
Bank statement
Paycheck
Government check or other government document

Attester

If you cannot prove who you are and where you live with the documents listed above, a registered voter from your precinct may attest for you. Both you and the attester will be required to sign an oath swearing the statements being made are true. Attesters must provide proper identification for themselves in order to attest to another voter’s identification.

Falsely attesting or being attested for is registration fraud. It is a class “D” felony and is punishable by a fine of up to $7,500 and up to 5 years in prison.

Restoration of Voter Eligibility

For information regarding restoration of citizenship/voting rights (e.g., for those with previous felony convictions), please visit the Governor's Office website.

Voter Registration Cancellation Request Form

If you move to another county in Iowa, you should register in your new county and their Auditor's Office will update your record in the statewide voter system. If you move out of Iowa, you are not requried to cancel your registration in Marion County. However, other jurisdictions may have rules about being registered in two places. If you would like to cancel your voter registration, please complete the Voter Registration Cancellation Request Form and return to our office. Voter Registration Cancellation Form

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