Voting Information

Step 1: Get Informed

All campus community members are encouraged to educate themselves about political and civic issues, and to become knowledgeable about their respective representatives, ballot initiatives, and candidates for office. 

Attend a Campus Educational Event: Check out “civic engagement” events on the Grinnell College Calendar for upcoming educational events, discussions, and watch parties. 

Learn about Iowa’s governmental structure and processes: Iowa’s Governmental Structure

Step 2: Decide Where to Vote

Grinnellians represent nearly every state in the nation. Some may choose to register and vote in Iowa, while others may choose to register and vote in their home state. Others may vote while studying outside of the country.

Voting in Iowa

Voting Out of State

Voting as a US citizen from outside the US

Step 3: Register

Register to vote or update your voter registration: Vote.gov offers national registration information. 

Register to vote in Iowa: VoterReady by the Iowa Secretary of State also offers the ability to register or check your registration. 

To qualify to vote in Iowa, you must be:

• A U.S. citizen,
• An Iowa resident, and
• At least 17 years old. A person may vote if they will be 18 years old on or before election day. In the case of primary elections, a person may vote if they will be 18 years old on or before the corresponding regular election.

You cannot:

• Be a convicted felon (unless your voting rights have been restored),
• Be judged mentally incompetent to vote by a court, or
• Claim the right to vote in any other place.

Students will receive their proof of residency in their student email account prior to the election. You will be allowed to provide this proof digitally at the polling location. 

Step 4: Make a Plan

Vote by Mail

Vote in Person in Iowa

Information on this page updated on 3/18/2026