Be “Voter Ready”: ID: What to expect at the election polls

Last week’s article focused on Step One in being “Voter Ready” in 2018: Register to Vote. This week’s article is about Step Two: Bring a valid form of ID to the polls.

Valid forms of ID include:

1. Iowa Driver’s License (not expired more than 90 days)
2. Iowa Non-Operator’s ID (not expired more than 90 days)
3. U.S. Passport (not expired)
4. U.S. Military ID or Veteran ID (not expired)
5. Iowa Voter ID PIN card (must be signed).

In December 2017, Iowa Voter ID PIN cards were sent, by the Secretary of State election office, to all registered voters without an Iowa Driver’s License or Iowa Non-Operator’s ID. If you feel you should have received a PIN card, and did not, or you have lost it or misplaced it, contact the Allamakee County Auditor’s office at 563-568-3522.

Anyone registering to vote going forward will receive the Iowa Voter ID PIN card only if they do not have an Iowa drivers license or Iowa Non-Operator ID. These PIN cards should be signed before going to the polls, or the voter will be asked to sign it at the polls and be required to sign the Oath of Identification because the PIN card is not signed. An unsigned PIN card is treated like an invalid ID.

Voter ID PIN cards are not the same as the Voter Information card that all voters receive. Voter Information cards show a voter’s polling place(s) and have a bar code to scan at the polls. Voter Information cards can be scanned at the polls to search for voter information, but are not one of the valid forms of ID required by law. Cards must have a PIN number to be considered valid ID.

Q: If I have to give my ID to the poll workers, why do they still ask me to verify my address, name and date of birth?
A: Iowa law requires a voter to confirm their name, date of birth and address either verbally or in writing. Poll workers are trained to confirm these three items. If the voter does not wish to state their information aloud, they may write it down on a piece of paper. Keep in mind the following when considering why voters are required to confirm name, date of birth and address:

1. A voter may have recently married, divorced or have other reason for name change, and they have not yet updated their ID with their new name, or they have updated their ID, but not their voter registration.
2. A person may have recently moved and not yet updated the address on the ID, or they have updated their ID, but not their voter registration. Iowa law requires a voter to vote in the precinct where they live, and their recent move may require them to vote at a different precinct.
3. Confirming date of birth is the final way the poll workers confirm that they have selected the correct voter. Date of birth can be confirmed by looking at the ID, by the voter writing their date of birth on the Declaration of Eligibility slip or other paper, or the voter stating it aloud.

If you need to request a new Voter ID PIN card and/or you wish to verify that your name and address on your voter registration are up-to-date, contact the Allamakee County Auditor’s office.

For any other questions regarding this article or other election questions, contact the Allamakee County Auditor’s office at 563-568-3522.