Iowa 2026 elections

Contests on the board in Iowa

The general-election contests the Ledger tracks in Iowa, each with the raters' current call, the newest public polling and the money reported.

Candidate profiles from Iowa

IA-SEN · Iowa

Ashley Hinson

U.S. Representative for Iowa's 2nd District and 2026 Republican nominee for U.S. Senate; former KCRG-TV reporter and two-term Iowa House member.

Read Ashley Hinson's recordThe race

IA-3 · Iowa

Zach Nunn

Iowa’s Third District congressman since 2023, an Air Force colonel and former state legislator: his votes, bills, ratings and 2026 race, sourced to the record.

Read Zach Nunn's recordThe race

Key dates and deadlines

Read from the Iowa Secretary of State on Sep 17, 2026. The authority's own page, linked beside each date, is the final word — confirm it before you act.

• Voter registration deadline (pre-registration)October 19, 2026 is the pre-registration deadline. The Secretary of State's calendar for this election gives the deadline as 5:00 p.m.; online and mailed registrations have their own cutoffs (see the online and mail deadlines). After that date you may still register and vote through Election Day Registration, with proof of identity and residence. sos.iowa.gov
• Online registration deadlineOctober 19, 2026, at or before 11:59 p.m. CT (fifteen days before the election), through the Iowa DOT online system. You need an Iowa driver's license or non-operator ID and the last five digits of your Social Security number. voterready.iowa.gov
• Mail registration deadlineOctober 19, 2026: a registration form mailed to your county auditor must be received by 5:00 p.m. CT that day or be postmarked fifteen days prior to the election; the Secretary of State's calendar for this election says mailed forms postmarked on or before October 19, 2026 are on time even if they are received after the deadline. voterready.iowa.gov
• Election Day registrationAvailable. On Election Day, November 3, 2026, you may register and vote at the polling place for your current address with proof of identity and residence; the same process is available during in-person absentee voting at your county auditor's office after the October 19, 2026 pre-registration deadline. voterready.iowa.gov
• Absentee ballots start being mailedNo sooner than October 14, 2026: county auditors mail absentee ballots no sooner than 20 days before Election Day, and the Secretary of State lists October 14 as the first day of absentee voting. voterready.iowa.gov
• Early voting (in-person absentee) beginsOctober 14, 2026, the first day of absentee voting. In-person absentee voting takes place at your county auditor's office or at a satellite location, if available. voterready.iowa.gov
• Early voting (in-person absentee) endsNovember 2, 2026, the day before the election; in-person absentee voting runs up to 5 p.m. voterready.iowa.gov
• Deadline to request an absentee ballot by mailOctober 19, 2026: your original, signed request form must be received by your county auditor before 5:00 p.m. CT. County auditors began accepting requests on August 25, 2026. voterready.iowa.gov
• Deadline to return an absentee ballot (received, not postmarked)November 3, 2026 (Election Day): your absentee ballot must be received in your county auditor's office before 8:00 p.m. CT, whether you mail it or hand deliver it. This is a received-by deadline, not a postmark deadline, and voted absentee ballots cannot be turned in at a polling place. voterready.iowa.gov
• Election DayTuesday, November 3, 2026. voterready.iowa.gov
• Poll hoursPolls are open from 7:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. CT on Election Day, November 3, 2026. voterready.iowa.gov

Official voting tools

These links go to the state's own tools. The Ledger does not collect registrations or ballots.

Rules to know

• What to bring

  Precinct election officials must ask voters to show one of these IDs: Iowa driver's license or Iowa non-operator ID (not expired more than 90 days); U.S. passport (not expired); U.S. military ID or veteran ID (not expired); Iowa Voter ID PIN card (must be signed); Tribal ID card or document (signed, with photo, not expired). Without one, another registered voter in your precinct may attest to your identity, you may prove identity and residence with Election Day Registration documents, or you have the right to a provisional ballot; provisional voters receive a notice with the deadline to provide additional documentation. If you moved to a new precinct in the same county, also bring proof of residence with your name and correct address, current within 45 days. Read from: voterready.iowa.gov

• Voting absentee by mail

  Any registered voter may vote absentee by mail. Send the original, signed Absentee Ballot Request Form to your county auditor; it does not need to be witnessed or notarized. It must give your name, date of birth, Iowa residential address, a voter verification number (Iowa driver's license or non-operator ID number, or the four-digit PIN on your Iowa Voter ID Card), the name or date of the election, and your signature and the date. The auditor must receive it before 5:00 p.m. CT on October 19, 2026. Return the ballot in the envelope the auditor supplies so that it is received before 8:00 p.m. CT on Election Day, by mail or by hand delivery to the county auditor. Only an immediate family member, a member of your household or, if you are disabled, a person you designate may return it for you. Read from: voterready.iowa.gov

• Early voting (absentee in person)

  Iowa's early voting is in-person absentee voting. It is available beginning 20 days before the election (October 14, 2026) and runs up to 5 p.m. the day before the election (November 2, 2026), at your county auditor's office or at a satellite location, if available. You complete the absentee ballot request form, and election officials must ask you to show one of the accepted IDs. To find out whether a satellite station is planned, contact your county auditor. Read from: voterready.iowa.gov

• Registering on Election Day

  You may register and vote on Election Day at the correct polling place for your current address; you must prove both who you are and where you live. Identity: an Iowa driver's license, or another photo ID that is current, valid and has an expiration date: Iowa non-operator ID, out-of-state driver's license or non-operator ID, U.S. passport, U.S. military or veteran ID, ID card issued by an employer, student ID issued by an Iowa high school or college, or Tribal ID. If the ID lacks your current address, bring a paper or electronic document with your name and current address, current within 45 days: residential lease, utility bill (including a cell phone bill), bank statement, paycheck, government check or other government document, or property tax statement. If you cannot provide these, a registered voter from your precinct may attest for you; both of you must sign an oath. Read from: sos.iowa.gov

• Track your absentee ballot

  You can track the status of your absentee ballot with the Secretary of State's Track Your Absentee Ballot tool after the county auditor has received your request form. The search form has fields for your first name, last name, date of birth and ZIP code. Read from: voterready.iowa.gov

• Fixing an incomplete absentee envelope

  The Secretary of State's calendar for the November 3, 2026 general election lists Election Day as the last day for voters to fix incomplete affidavits: voters have until the time polls close at 8:00 p.m. to fix incomplete affidavit envelopes at the county auditor's office. The Secretary of State's voter pages do not describe the steps; its County Auditor List gives each county auditor's contact information. Read from: sos.iowa.gov

• Voting after a felony conviction

  In Iowa, a person's voter registration is cancelled upon a felony conviction. The state's Restore Your Vote site says Executive Order 7 serves as a restoration of voting rights once the sentence is completed (all confinement, parole, probation or other supervised release, including a special sentence under Iowa Code Chapter 903B), effective immediately and with no further action required; unpaid fines, fees or restitution do not prevent it. Exception: people convicted of an Iowa Code Chapter 707 crime (homicide and related crimes) must apply to the Governor for restoration. The site links to voter registration and says that, once you have determined that your right to vote has been restored, you can contact the Iowa Secretary of State's Office with questions on how to register to vote. Read from: restoreyourvote.iowa.gov

On the statewide ballot

Offices on the November 3, 2026 statewide ballot, per the Iowa Secretary of State:

U.S. Senate · Governor · Lieutenant Governor · Secretary of State · Auditor of State · Treasurer of State · Secretary of Agriculture · Attorney General

Questions and answers