Do you want better bike laws? Do you want more trails in your area? There is one change that can make better bike laws and facilities.  You hold the power to make changes for bicycling.  It is easy to exercise influence your elected officials minds on bike lanes, trails, or bike laws.

You can bike and vote in city elections on November 3rd.

Don’t underestimate the power you have as a voter. You have influence on who is leading your community.  In turn, they have influence over the communities priorities and budgets. Bicyclists can and should be seen as a group that turns out the vote at the polls.

Step 1:  Learn where your polling place is.

Occasionally, they change locations.  It doesn’t hurt to check.  If you are going to vote on election day, you need to go to your polling place.

Step 2:  Determine if you are registered to vote.

If you are registered, you don’t have to take any action until you vote.  Show up at your polling place or vote absentee (see step 3).

Register to Vote at the Poll

You may register and vote on election day. To do so, you first must go to the correct polling place for your current address on election day.

If you do not have an Iowa driver’s license, you may use a photo ID that is current, valid, and contain an expiration date. If your photo ID does not contain your current address, you may use another document to prove where you live if it contains your name and current address.  If you cannot prove who you are and where you live with the documents listed above, a registered voter from your precinct may attest for you.

Step 3: Vote 

Many, but not all, Iowa counties have websites for the COUNTY AUDITOR.  Find your county and click on the link.  Look under departments or county offices.  Sometimes, they have the upcoming election and the ballots or candidates.  You can always call your county auditor’s office for more information.

Some even have the contact information for candidate.  If you have questions on the candidates support of bicycling, you can email or call the candidate and ask them.  Do your research on candidates that support bicycling.

You can vote absentee ballot.  This means you can request to have a ballot sent to your address. The request form must be received in the county auditor’s office by 5 p.m. on the Friday before the election.

If the request is received so late that is unlikely the absentee ballot can be returned by mail in time to be considered for counting, the county auditor will enclose a statement to that effect with the absentee ballot. You can return your voted absentee ballot by mail. Absentee ballots received in the county auditor’s office by the time the polls close on election day are eligible for counting.  Read the instructions sent with the ballot.

Frequently Asked Questions on Voting in Iowa