Iowa Voter Registration Deadline for 2012 Presidential Election; How To Register in Iowa City

The general election is Nov. 6 -- more than one month away -- but the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office recommends that you register to vote sooner rather than later.

To register by mail, applications must be postmarked no later than Oct. 22. In-person registration is open through Oct. 27. After that, you can register on election day, but you’ll finish voting more quickly -- and so will everybody else -- if you register ahead of time.

In Iowa City, you can register at the Department of Motor Vehicles or mail your form to the Johnson County Auditor’s office at 913 S. Dubuque St., Ste. 101
or by mailing it to the same address. You can look up the locations of auditors offices in different counties here.

Here’s the Iowa voter registration form, which you can download and complete.

Absentee ballot applications must be received prior to 5 p.m. on Nov. 2, and cast absentee ballots must be postmarked prior to Nov. 5 -- and received by noon on the Tuesday after the election. You can download an absentee ballot application here. Send it to the auditor’s office at the address above.

Not 18 yet? In Iowa, you can register to vote if you’re now 17 and will be 18 by election day. The other requirements: You must be a U.S. citizen and a resident of Iowa.

College student? If you’re attending college in a city different from your non-school home, you can vote in either place. And if you’re a college student from out of state, you can register to vote in Iowa if you’d like. Just use your college address when filling out the registration form.

Not sure if you’re registered? You can check to see if you’re registered here.

The Secretary of State’s Office has a Q&A page regarding voter registration.