Election Essentials Why Voters Should Pre-Register to Vote
Election Essentials is a weekly series of articles offering a variety of information regarding elections in Iowa and Allamakee County prior to this year’s November 5 General Election. The information is being provided courtesy of Allamakee County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections Denise Beyer.
Any eligible voter who is unsure if they are registered or unsure if they are registered at the correct address can check by going to the Allamakee County Elections website, https://allamakeecountyelections.iowa.gov/, clicking “Am I Registered”, and entering their name and zip code. See the QR code at the end of this article +to easily check your registration.
In Iowa, like many other states, pre-registering to vote is an important first step in the voting process. Voters who are already registered do not need to register again, unless they have moved or had a name change. Voters who are new to Allamakee County and have not yet registered here, or voters who have moved since they last voted should register, or re-register to update their address.
Here are some reasons why pre-registration is important.
1. A Voter Registration Acknowledgment Card is mailed to every voter when they register. This card informs the voter of their precinct and polling place. Iowa law requires a voter to vote in the precinct where they live on Election Day. Not being pre-registered or not updating the address on their voter registration could result in a voter showing up to the wrong polling location on Election Day, which can cost the voter extra time and possibly cause frustration.
2. Pre-registration streamlines the voter process on Election Day. When a voter is pre-registered, their voter record is already in the system at the polling place, which reduces wait times and administrative obstacles and makes the voting experience more positive and convenient for the voter and the precinct election officials. A pre-registered voter typically shows acceptable I.D. to election officials, verifies their name, date-of-birth and address, signs the required eligibility form and votes their ballot. See Changing address or name on Voter Registration below to learn more.
3. Young, first-time voters may be more likely to vote if they are pre-registered. The voting process can seem intimidating for first-time voters, but being pre-registered, first-time voters can be assured the process will be smooth at the polls: show acceptable I.D., verify name, date-of-birth and address, sign the required eligibility form and vote their ballot. Auditor Beyer goes to each high school in the county to register eligible students to vote, explain the process at the polls and show them how the equipment works, to encourage participation in the election process.
CHANGING ADDRESS OR NAME ON VOTER REGISTRATION
Voters who have moved or changed their name should make sure their voter registration address is updated before the pre-registration deadline, for the same reasons listed above: they will know their correct polling place, if their polling place changed, and enjoy a smooth process at the polls. Voters may use the QR code and/or County Election website to check their registration name and address.
A voter who has moved and misses the pre-registration deadline should allow extra time at the polls to update their voter registration address. If the voter’s new address is in the same voting precinct, they will be required to sign a new voter registration form before voting. If the voter’s new address is in a different precinct than their previous address, the voter (if not already in the correct precinct) will have to travel to the correct precinct and will be required to show proof of residence (such as a utility bill or bank statement) before registering and voting.
HOW TO REGISTER
Iowa law allows several ways for an eligible voter to register to vote, and/or update their name or address on their voter registration. Updating a registration name or address is the same as the registration process. To complete the registration process, eligible individuals can:
1. Visit the Iowa Secretary of State’s website https://sos.iowa.gov/ to register online or print a registration form to be completed and returned to their county auditor’s office. SPECIAL NOTE: Registering online does require two numbers from the registrants driver’s license and also the last five digits of their Social Security Number (SSN), for security purposes.
2. Visit the Allamakee County Elections website at https://allamakeecountyelections.iowa.gov/ and click Register to Vote to find the link to the registration form. Print, complete and return the form to the Auditor’s office.
3. Go to the Auditor’s office to complete a registration form during regular business hours: Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
4. When renewing a driver’s license, answer “yes” when asked if you wish to register to vote. The Auditor’s office is notified electronically via the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) system.
WHAT IF A VOTER MISSES THE PRE-REGISTRATION DEADLINE?
Election Day Registration, or EDR, also known as same-day registration, is an option in Iowa for those who miss the pre-registration deadline or recently moved and did not update their voter registration address. EDR allows eligible individuals with acceptable proof of identity and residence to register to vote and cast their ballot on Election Day, right at their polling place.
The pre-registration deadline also applies to online registrants. Iowa law requires the Auditor’s office to mark late online registrations with an effective date of the day after the election. Therefore, anyone registering online after the pre-registration deadline will not show in the voter listing at the polling place. Online registrants who register after the deadline must follow the Election Day Registration procedures at the polling place by showing proof of identity and residence.
KEY REQUIREMENTS FOR ELECTION DAY REGISTRATION
* Eligibility - The registrant must be a U.S. citizen, live in the precinct where registering, and be 18 years old.
* Proof of Identity and Residence - The most common proof of identity and residence is a current and valid DOT-issued Iowa driver’s license or non-driver ID. If the ID used does not show the voter’s current address, the voter will need to provide other proof of residence, such as a bank statement or utility bill issued in the last 45 days. Other acceptable IDs and proofs of residence can be found on the Allamakee County Elections website on the Register to Vote page. If a voter cannot prove both identity and residence for the EDR process, another registered voter in the same precinct can attest for the EDR voter by providing their ID and signing an oath swearing to the identity and/or residence of the person registering.
* Registration Form - Once all required information is provided, Precinct Election Officials will enter the voter’s information and print a Voter Registration form for the voter to sign, followed by the voter signing their eligibility form and voting a regular ballot.
WHAT IF AN EDR VOTER CANNOT PROVE BOTH IDENTITY AND RESIDENCE
If a voter using the EDR process cannot prove both identity and residence, and there is no one to attest for the voter, the voter will be allowed to cast a provisional ballot. Precinct Election Officials will give instruction to the voter to place their provisional ballot into an envelope and seal it. These ballots are not fed into the vote counting equipment because the voter could not yet prove they are qualified to vote. The special envelope has identifying information on it as to the voter’s name and reason they voted the provisional ballot. Precinct Election Officials return the Provisional ballots to the Auditor on Election Night and the Auditor secures these ballots for later review.
This year, any provisional voter has until noon the Tuesday following the election to provide the missing proof of identity or residence to the Auditor’s office for their ballot to be counted. This deadline is normally the Monday following the election, but this year Monday, November 11 is a federal holiday - Veterans Day, so that extends the deadline to Tuesday at noon.
This year the Absentee and Special Voter Precinct (ASVP) Board would return to the Auditor’s office at noon Tuesday, November 12 to either open and count any provisional ballots for which proper documentation was provided by noon, or reject ballots for lack of documentation. Voters whose ballots are rejected are notified with a letter signed by the ASVP Board and the Auditor.
BE VOTER READY
The Pre-Registration deadline for the November 5, 2024 General Election is 5 p.m. Monday, October 21, 2024. Allamakee County Auditor Denise Beyer encourages everyone to be Voter Ready by pre-registering to vote or making sure your voter registration address is updated prior to the October 21 deadline. If needed, the Election Day Registration process can be used and allows a voter to vote a regular ballot on Election Day as long as all required documentation can be provided. Voters may call the Auditor’s office at 563-568-3522 with any questions about voter pre-registration, or to confirm the address on their voter registration is up-to-date.
Auditor Beyer also encourages voters to utilize the new election website by going to https://allamakeecountyelections.iowa.gov/ or by scanning the accompanying QR code below with your cell phone camera to access the website. This website has important election dates, news items and sample ballots.
TEXT REMINDERS AND UPDATES
Text alerts is a new feature added by the Auditor’s office. On the election website, go to Quick Links and click “Sign Up for Election Reminders”. Entering the required information signs the voter up to receive all election-related text reminders and news.
Your Auditor’s office should be your trusted source for all election information. Any other source may contain incorrect or misleading information. If you are not sure about something you read or hear, please contact the Auditor’s office for accurate information at 563-568-3522.
