To be a voter you must:
Be a U.S. citizen 18 years of age or older.
Be registered in Cherokee County.
Party Information:
You may register with or without a party affiliation. However, if you wish to
vote in any Primary election, you must declare a party. Only registered
Democrats and Republicans may vote in their respective Party Primary.
However, if a No Party voter wishes to change their affiliation, they can do so
by mail advising the Auditor’s Office they wish to change or on Election day by
declaring a party choice on that day and changing their original No Party
choice.
Absentee Voting:
Request by Mail:
Request for a ballot should be made by mail to the Commissioner of Elections no
earlier than 70 days prior to an election.
In requesting an absentee ballot state your name, date of birth, date of
request, voting address, the address
to which your ballot should be sent, party affiliation (Primary Election) and
sign request as you are registered.
(Click here to get absentee request form)
In Person:
Absentee votes may be cast in person at the Cherokee County Auditor’s Office, as
soon as ballots are available.
Armed Forces:
Those in the Armed Forces need not register if they vote a military ballot. The
request constitutes registration with a Cherokee County address.
Patient or Resident of a Hospital or Health Care
Facility (For Federal Elections Only)
Any qualified elector who becomes a patient or resident of a hospital or health
care facility within three days prior to the date of an election, may request an
absentee ballot during that period or on Election day Requestor may also
telephone the commissioner no later than four hours before the close of the
polls. If the request is in order, an absentee ballot will be personally
delivered.
FAQ's
about Voting Q.
I am currently a “No Party” voter registered in Cherokee County. I would like to
affiliate with a party so I can participate in my respective party’s primary or
caucus. Will completing and sending in a voter registration form with the
appropriate party selected do that for me or are there other steps I need to
take?
A. Completing a voter registration form with party affiliation
selected will change your status. Another way is to fill out an absentee request
for a primary and select the political party ballot you wish to receive, your
registration will be changed to the party you check on the absentee request.
Q. While deployed I signed up to receive absentee ballots. How
do I stop this service now that I have returned home?
A. One FPCA will allow you to receive all ballots for Federal
Offices through two regularly scheduled general elections for federal office.
FVAP recommends that each voter submit an FPCA to their state of legal residence
in January of each year and again each time there is a change in the voters’
mailing address. Q. I am registered to vote, but
I have lost my card. How do I request a replacement card?
A. Call our office at (712) 225-6704. Q.
I filled out and mailed a voter registration card, but realized that I did not
check the questions on the top. Should I send in a new one?
A. Call our office at (712) 225-6704. We must verify that you
are a citizen and will be at least 18 at the time of the election. We will check
this status with your name, birth date, and ID number (Drivers license number,
non-driver ID card or last 4 digits of your social security number). If they do
not match, your registration will be rejected and you will be notified by mail.
If you sign the form and you are not a United States Citizen or you will not be
18 years of age on or before Election day, you can be convicted of perjury and
fined up to $7,500 and/or jailed for up to 5 years. Q.
I have moved to a new address. How do I update my voter registration
card?
A. When you change your name, address, or other data, you will
need to update your registration by completing a new form.
Q. How do I know where to vote?
A. Your general election polling site is listed on your voter
registration card. Please note that your polling place may differ based on the
type of the election. Call our office to verify for school and city elections.
Q. I registered to vote at the Department of Motor Vehicles and
did not receive a registration. How can this happen?
A. Inaccurate information is on the form and a contact phone
number is not available. Always double check to make sure your correct address,
street name, street direction, and city is correct. Call our office at (712)
225-6704 if you do not receive a notice from our office within two weeks of
registering to vote.
Q. Can I request an absentee ballot via email
or fax?
A. Yes, voters may submit absentee ballot requests by email or
fax. The voter must also mail the original signed copy of the form or the ballot
cannot be counted. The original application must be postmarked on or before the
Monday before Election day and received by the Friday after the election.
Q. Can you tell me if I am registered to vote?
A. The Secretary of State has a webpage to verify your voter
registration at
http://www.sos.iowa.gov/elections/voterreg/regtovote/search.aspx or call our
office (712) 225-6704. Q. We are moving out of
State. What do we need to do to remove our names from the voter registration
list?
A. You will need to register to vote in the county you will be
living in. Your registration cannot be transferred to another state; however,
once you have registered to vote in the county you will be living in, your
registration in our county will be canceled.
Q. I will be out of town for the next election;
can I come to your office to vote before the election.
A. Yes, we are open Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30
p.m. plus two Saturdays before a federal election. Our office is located
in the Courthouse at 520 West Main, Cherokee. |
