Iowans Exercising Their Right to Vote

Unsure If You're Already Registered

2009-10-21T20:47:00.000-07:00

Are you worried that you're already registered or aren't sure if you're already registered? Use votepoke to see if you're registered if you are unsure. You cannot register and/or vote in your district if you are already registered in another. Prevent this mistake by using votepoke!

Votepoke link
https://www.votepoke.org/index.html

Who Can & Cannot Vote In Iowa

2009-10-21T10:54:00.000-07:00

Requirements to vote in Iowa:
-Must be a citizen of the United States
-Must be at least 18 years old by election day
-Must be a resident of Iowa

Individuals who are not allowed to vote in Iowa:
-Convicted felons
*unless their voting rights have been restored by the state governor or the president
-Currently judged incompetent to vote by a court
*usually pertains to the mentally ill and mentally disabled
-Those who are registered to vote in any other district, county, or state than the current district, county, and state that they are trying to vote in.

Information provided by the Iowa Secretary of State Website
http://www.sos.state.ia.us/elections/VoterInformation/VoterRegistration.html#2

How to Register To Vote In Iowa (its so simple!!)

2009-10-21T09:38:00.000-07:00

1. The first option is to register when you receive your eighteen-year-old license or renew your current license. The workers at the Iowa DOT will ask you if you want to register to vote and all you do is fill out a form and give it back to them.

2. The second option is to pre-register or register early. To do this you can download and print off the voter registration form and then send it in to the county auditor's office of the county you live in. The county must receive your completed voter registration form ten days before general and primary elections, and eleven days before all other elections.

The advantage of registering early is that your name already appears on the election register on your assigned polling place which allows you to sign in quickly and reduces the amount of time you spend at your polling place. Essentially, when you register ahead of time you save time and make the voting process less of a hassle and easier for yourself.

3. The third option is to register on election day at your assigned polling place. You will need to show a valid ID that shows who you are and your current address. It is very important to register under your current address! Not doing so can result in a heavy fine and jail time! The recommended ID to use is a current, valid Iowa driver's license that has an expiration date on it. However, if you don't have an valid Iowa driver's license then there are other forms of ID that you can use, which are listed below.

See! Isn't that so simple! So if you meet the requirements for voting, there really is absolutely no reason not to register to vote! You don't even need to leave your house to register to vote! So go out and get registered!

Alternate forms of ID that can be used to register to vote.

For Proof of Identity: Iowa non-driver identification card, out-of-state driver's license or out-of-state identification card, U.S. passport, U.S. military ID, ID card issued by your employer, student Id issued by an Iowa high school or college.

For Proof of Residence: residential lease, utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check, cell phone bill, other government document.

Information provided by the Iowa Secretary of State website
http://www.sos.state.ia.us/elections/VoterInformation/VoterRegistration.html#2

Statewide City Elections on November 3, 2009

2009-10-20T21:15:00.000-07:00

The city elections will be held statewide on November 3, 2009. These elections will decide city councilmen,mayors, and park commissioners for many cities in the state. Des Moines Metro Area cities voting for mayors are: Urbandale, Ankeny, Clive, Grimes, Johnston, Pleasant Hill, Polk City, West Des Moines, and Waukee. Polls will be open from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm. Later I will post info on how to find your polling place for your city.

Goal of Every Iowa Vote Counts

2009-10-20T20:24:00.000-07:00

The goal of creating this blog is to try and raise the percentage of eligible voters that vote in local, state and national elections in Iowa. In attempting this goal I will be updating the blog with issues voters can vote on in their cities, districts and counties. I will try to post as much information I can about the issues to be voted on and the candidates running for office. This blog will be non-partisan and will not favor candidates of either party. The goal of Every Iowa Vote Counts is to get as many Iowans out to vote as much as possible, regardless of party affiliation.