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The Voting
Process
The next scheduled election is a February 3, 2009 special election in the
Clear Creek Amana school district.
2008 Election Calendar
Types of
Elections
The rules and details of elections vary with the type of election.
The major types of elections are:
Where
to Vote on Election Day
Eligible voters may vote on Election Day at their assigned polling place.
Polling place hours vary depending on the type
of election. For partisan primary and general elections, held in even-numbered years, polls are open from
7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in all precincts.
For city and school elections, hours
are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in most cities and districts.
Your precinct and polling place are listed on your voter
card. You
may also find your precinct and districts by entering your address on our precinct
lookup page. If you know your precinct, you may find your polling
place for all general, primary, city and county elections by viewing the elections
precincts list. You may also call the Auditor's Office for any
information you need.
Your caucus location may not be the same as your polling place.
Caucus sites are set by the parties and not by our office.
Why do I vote at a different place for school elections?
Since school districts pay for their own school elections, they have the
option of opening fewer precincts to save costs. Also, some voters vote
at a different polling place since school district boundaries do not always
follow regular precinct lines.
You only go to your school precinct for school board elections (held in September
of odd years) or for special elections related only to schools (including
bond issues).
If you have any questions, please call our office at 356-6004.
How is a polling place operated?
Each precinct has at least three poll workers, who cannot all be members of
the same party. Poll workers are temporary employees of our
office. It is their job to be sure the voting proceeds smoothly and
according to law.
There may also be poll watchers representing candidates, parties, or ballot
issues. They do not work for our office and they need to obey election
laws. No campaigning of any sort is permitted within 300 feet of the
outside entrance to the polling place or a satellite voting
station. Usually, poll watchers simply keep track of who has
voted. Candidates may not be at a polling place unless they are voting.
You will be asked your name and address and, if your name appears in the
poll book, you will sign an eligibility slip and then proceed to vote.
In very large elections such as general elections, there may be exit
pollers from news organizations. They must stay outside the
polling place and can only interview people who have already voted. You
may choose whether or not to talk to exit pollers or journalists.
How can I become a poll worker?
Contact our office at 356-6004. You may not have a close relative on the ballot.
More information on becoming
a poll worker
Do I need identification when I go to vote?
Most Iowa voters do not need to show ID when they vote. There are exceptions:
- If you plan to change your address at the polls on election day.
- If you registered by mail and did not provide the correct identification
number or documentation, you will be asked for identification the first time you
vote.
- If mail has been returned to our office indicating that you have moved
outside the county, your registration will be in "inactive"
status. Once you have shown ID one time, the "inactive"
status is removed.
Note: If ID is required, you will need a photo ID. It does not need
to list your current address. A voter card is not a form of
identification.
What if my registration is missing from the poll book at my polling place?
If you are changing your address at the polls, the poll workers will look
up your name on a master list of all registered voters in the county.
Once your name is found you may re-register with your new address.
If your name is not on the master list and you believe that you are
eligible to vote, you may vote a provisional ballot (formerly called a
"special" or "challenged" ballot). You will be asked to fill out a registration form and explain
in writing why you feel you should be eligible to vote in that precinct.
After the election, a review board will check the records and, before opening
the ballot envelope, determine whether or not you are eligible to vote. Your
vote will be counted if you are indeed eligible to vote. If not, your
ballot will not be opened and you will receive a notice that your vote was not
counted.
Can I vote at any polling place I want to on Election Day?
No. Any Johnson County voter may vote early by mail, at our office,
or at any satellite voting site up to and including the day before the
election. But on Election Day, you can only vote at the precinct
where you live. Find
your precinct
How can I find out about the candidates before I vote? Can I get
information from your office?
The Auditor's Office provides contact information for campaigns,
candidates, and parties.
Before each election we post a list of candidates and ballot issues that includes addresses and
(if available) phone numbers, e-mail addresses and web sites so that you may contact the
campaigns yourself.
We do not provide campaign literature or answer specific questions such as how a
candidate stands on a given issue.
Can someone help me vote?
Yes, you may be aided by nearly anyone you wish. (The only exceptions: you
may not be assisted by your employer, an agent or representative of your
employer, or an agent or representative of your labor union.)
If you need help and do not bring someone with you, you may be aided by two
poll workers of different parties.
Can I bring a list or sample ballot into the booth with me?
You may bring marked sample ballots or lists into the polls to help you
remember how you want to vote. You may not
leave them in the voting booths or show them to other voters in line.
What if I make a mistake?
You can request another ballot. Do not attempt to erase any
marks on your ballot. Tell the poll worker in charge of ballots, give
him or her your spoiled ballot, and you will be issued a new ballot. Your
spoiled ballot will be sealed and no one will be allowed to see it.
If you make a mistake on a mailed absentee ballot, return the ballot as you
would if you had voted it and write "Spoiled, request new ballot"
on the outside. You will be mailed another ballot. You may also
bring the spoiled mailed ballot to our office and vote your new ballot in
person.
How can I vote for someone not listed on the ballot?
There are write-in slots for each office on the ballot. Poll workers count the write-in votes by hand
after the polls close.
Can I get a ride to the polls on Election Day?
Our office cannot provide rides to the polls on Election Day.
Candidates and parties may provide this service. Contacts
for Johnson County Political Parties If you think you will have
difficulty getting to the polls, we encourage you to vote early.
What time are the polls the busiest?
The peak voting times are usually early in the morning, the noon hour, and
after 5 p.m. If you vote at a school, arrival and dismissal time can
also be busy.
What happens if I am in line to vote when the polls close?
If you are in line when the polls close, you will be allowed to vote.
Do I have to vote on all the offices and issues on the ballot?
Your vote will be counted whether or not you mark every contest. We
encourage you to be informed on as many issues and candidates as possible.
Counting the Votes
Johnson County has a "precinct count" system, which means ballots
are counted by machines in each precinct. When the polls close, the
workers at each precinct print out the results. The poll workers then
call our office and report the results. The results are entered into our
computers and immediately released as each precinct reports in. As the
poll workers return their supplies on Election Night, our staff double checks
the precinct printouts to make sure they match the results reported on the
phone, and makes any necessary corrections.
There are three ways to get immediate results:
- The most detailed results will be on this web site. We post a
summary of all races, precinct by precinct returns of most contested races,
turnout statistics, and early voting statistics. Once final, these results remain on our web site permanently as a
historic record. Past Election
Returns
- On Iowa City cable TV. We broadcast a rotating total of contested
races. Channels and times will not be available until very close to
Election Day.
- At our office in the County Administration Building. This is a
long-standing tradition in Johnson County. Visitors will see the same
broadcast as cable viewers.
Minor changes usually occur after Election Night as additional absentee
ballots postmarked before Election Day arrive by mail, and as provisional ballots
are researched and (if valid) counted.
All results are unofficial until the canvass, which is the formal
certification of results by the Board of Supervisors. The date varies
but is usually the Monday or Tuesday after the election.
How are absentee ballots
counted?
All absentee and early ballots remain sealed until Election Day. On
Election Day, a bipartisan Absentee Ballot Board of at least three members
opens the ballots and feeds them into a voting machine. The results are
not announced until the polls are closed. If additional absentee ballots
with timely postmarks arrive after Election Day, members of the absentee board
meet again to count them.
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