Requests for absentee ballots for November 5 general election are now being accepted

 by Renée Brich,
Managing Editor
 STATEWIDE  — Voters in Iowa can now request an absentee ballot for the November 5 general election.
 County auditors will send the requested ballot October 16, the same day voters will be able to start early in-person voting.
 Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate is reminding voters to make a plan to participate in the upcoming election. “Whether you choose to vote by mail, vote absentee in person at your county auditor’s office, or vote in person on election day, now is the time to prepare,” Pate said in a statement.
 “Iowans can rest assured that when they cast their vote in the general election, we will ensure it is counted accurately and fairly.”
 Absentee ballot requests can be downloaded from the Iowa Secretary of State’s website. To request a ballot, proof of identification through the ID number on the voter’s driver’s license or state-issued non-operator ID, or with the four-digit PIN found on the voter identification card. All absentee ballot requests must be received by 5 p.m. October 21.
 Once the ballot is completed, voters may return it in person or by mail to the county auditor’s office.
 Iowans must be registered to vote in order to request and receive an absentee ballot. To register, a voter must be a U.S. citizen, Iowa resident and 18 years old by Election Day, November 5, 2024. Iowans seeking to register may do so online through the Iowa Secretary of State website, using an Iowa driver’s license, non-operator ID, or by filling out and returning a registration form to their county auditor’s office.