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Voter Cards, Johnson County, Iowa
Note: Information on this page is specific to Johnson County,
Iowa. If you do not live in Johnson County, Iowa, you need to contact the
jurisdiction where you live to get a voter card.
When you register to vote or change your registration, our office produces a
new voter card for you. We also mail new voter cards to voters whose
polling places or other information changes.
Common Questions:
Each voter card will include a reply card you may use to
make any corrections. If all your information is correct, do not
return the card. If you need to change your name, address, phone
number or party affiliation, simply make the corrections, sign the card, and
mail it to our office. Within two weeks you should receive another new voter card with the corrected information.
We cannot accept changes over the phone or by e-mail, since Iowa law
requires a signature.
If you do not receive a card within two
weeks, or if a card arrives in your mailbox for someone who is deceased or no
longer lives at your address, please contact our office at 356-6004.
Do I
need my card when I go to vote?
You do not need your card in
order to vote. Voter cards are provided for reference and
information purposes and to allow you a
chance to correct errors or make changes.
A voter card is not a form of identification. If ID is
required, you will need a photo ID and your voter card will not be sufficient. Most Iowa voters do
not need to show ID when they vote. There are exceptions:
- If you plan to register or change your address at the polls on election day.
More on
Election Day Registration in Iowa (pdf)
- If you registered by mail and did not provide the correct identification
number or documentation, your registration will be in "pending" status.
- If mail has been returned to our office indicating that you have moved
outside the county, your registration will be in "inactive" status.
If you are in pending or inactive status, you only need to show ID one
time, and your status will be returned to the regular "active" status.
Addresses
The address on the side of the card that lists your polling places is your registration address. This
should be the physical address at which you live, and is used to determine
your precinct and districts. If this address is incorrect, please fill
out the reply card, sign it, and return it to our office.
The address on the side of the card that says RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED is your mailing
address. If you use a post office box or mail drop, that address
will appear here. Otherwise, the mailing address should be the same as
your registration address. Your card may list a post office box that you no
longer use. You may use the blank lines on the registration address side
of the card to tell our office to remove the
post office box, add a box if you use one, or make other changes.
Voter ID Number
This is a computer-assigned unique ID number used within the statewide
voter registration system to aid in the processing of records.
Party Affiliation
One of five abbreviations will appear on your voter card in the party area:
- DEM = Democratic Party
- REP = Republican Party
- GR - Green Party
- LIB - Libertarian Party
- NON = no party
You will be listed as a Democrat or Republican if:
- You checked the corresponding box on your voter registration form, or
- You registered with the Department of Transportation and specified a
party, or
- You voted in the primary election or attended the caucus of the specified party and have not
subsequently changed your registration to another affiliation.
You will be listed as a Green or Libertarian if:
- You have registered as a Green or Libertarian since January 1, 2008 and
have not subsequently re-registered with another affiliation. (Voters
who registered as Greens between 2000 and 2002 had their registration
changed to no party in February 2003, when the Greens lost party status.)
You will be listed as no party if:
- You checked the "No Party" box on your registration form, or
- You did not choose a party, left the party boxes blank, or checked
more than one party, or
- You registered with the Department of Transportation and did not
specify a party, or
- You used a phrase synonymous with "no party" such as
"unaffiliated," "independent," or "decline to
state a preference," or
- You attempted to register with a party that does not have official
party or organization status. A party must win 2% of the vote for president or
governor in each general election to earn and keep official party status
in Iowa, or complete a petition process for organization status. Or
- You registered with a party while it had official party status and
have not subsequently re-registered with another party.
Ward and Supervisor
The Ward space indicates a voter's Iowa City council district.
Though Iowa City uses the term "council district," the statewide voter
registration program uses the term "ward." For voters outside the city
limits of Iowa City, this space should be blank.
The Supervisor space should be blank for all Johnson County voters.
Some counties elect supervisors by district, but Johnson County supervisors
are elected at large.
Regular and School
Polling Places
Your card lists two polling places. You vote at your regular
polling place for all general, primary,
and city elections.
You will only vote at your school polling place for school
elections. This includes school board elections (September,
odd-numbered years) and any special school bond or levy elections. School
districts have the choice of combining precincts for school elections to
reduce costs. The four districts primarily in Johnson County (Iowa City, Clear Creek Amana, Lone Tree and Solon)
all combine precincts.
If the school polling
place is blank on your card, you are in a school district that is mostly
outside Johnson County, and its elections are
conducted by another county. Contact that county for information on your school precinct. Details
New Cards
New cards are available on request at no cost. If none of your
information has changed, you may request a new
card by phone, but we cannot change any of your voter information without your
signature.
By law, voter cards must be mailed. Our office normally processes
cards once a week, usually on Fridays. If you need proof of registration sooner, we can
provide you with a certified copy of your registration (cost 15 cents).
While
a voter card or certified copy is not identification, some agencies accept them as secondary
proof of address. NOTE: The Iowa Department of Transportation recently
changed its policy and will no longer accept certified copies of voter
registration as a secondary proof of address when obtaining a driver's
license. They will only accept the mailed voter card. The University of Iowa
Registrar's office will still accept certified copies as a secondary proof
of address for persons applying for in-state tuition.
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