Iowa Voter Registration Deadline for 2012 Presidential Election; How To Register in Ankeny

Today is National Voter Registration Day, and thousands of local, state and national organizations have mobilized to make sure millions of people don’t miss the chance to cast their vote in this year’s elections.

Six million people didn’t vote in the 2008 elections because they either did not know how to register or because they missed the voter registration deadline.

Well, we're doing our small part to help Ankeny residents fix that.

To register by mail, applications must be postmarked no later than Oct. 22. In-person registration is open through Oct. 27. After that, you can register on election day, but you’ll finish voting more quickly — and so will everybody else — if you register ahead of time.

In Ankeny, you can register at the nearest Department of Motor Vehicles or mail your form to the Polk County Auditor’s Office at 120 Second Ave. in
Des Moines, or by mailing it to 120 Second Ave., Des Moines, IA 50309.

Here’s the Iowa voter registration form, which you can download and complete.

Absentee ballot applications must be received prior to 5 p.m. on Nov. 2, and cast absentee ballots must be postmarked prior to Nov. 5 — and received by noon on the Tuesday after the election. You can download an absentee ballot application here. Send it to the auditor’s office at the address above.

Not 18 yet? In Iowa, you can register to vote if you’re now 17 and will be 18 by election day. You also must be a U.S. citizen and a resident of Iowa.

College student? If you’re attending college in a city different from your non-school home, you can vote in either place. And if you’re a college student from out of state, you can register to vote in Iowa if you’d like. Just use your college address when filling out the registration form.

Not sure if you’re registered? You can check to see if you’re registered here.

The Secretary of State’s Office has a Q&A page regarding voter registration.