48A.11 Voter registration form.

1. Each voter registration form shall provide space for the registrant to provide the following information:

a. The county where the registrant resides.

b. The registrant’s name, including first name and any family forename or surname.

c. The address at which the registrant resides and claims as the registrant’s residence for voting purposes.

d. The registrant’s mailing address if it is different from the residence address.

e. Iowa driver’s license number if the registrant has a current and valid Iowa driver’s license, Iowa nonoperator’s identification card if the registrant has a current and valid Iowa nonoperator’s identification card, or the last four numerals of the registrant’s social security number. If the registrant does not have an Iowa driver’s license number, an Iowa nonoperator’s identification card number, or a social security number, the form shall provide space for a number to be assigned as provided in subsection 8.

f. Date of birth, including month, date, and year.

g. Sex.

h. Residential telephone number (optional to provide).

i. Political party affiliation as defined in section 43.2 or nonparty political organization affiliation if approved for inclusion on the form pursuant to section 44.18.

j. The name and address appearing on the registrant’s previous voter registration.

k. A space for a registrant who is homeless or who has no established residence to provide such information as may be necessary to describe a place to which the person often returns.

l. A statement that lists each eligibility requirement, contains an attestation that the registrant meets all of the requirements, and requires the signature of the registrant under penalty of perjury.

m. A space for the registrant’s signature and the date signed.

2. The voter registration form shall include, in print that is identical to the attestation portion of the form, the following:

a. Each voter eligibility requirement.

b. The penalty provided by law for submission of a false voter registration form, which shall be the penalty for perjury as provided by section 902.9, subsection 1, paragraph “e”.

3. a. The following questions and statement regarding eligibility shall be included on forms that may be used for registration by mail:

[1] “Are you a citizen of the United States of America?”

[2] “Will you be eighteen years of age on or before election day?”

[3] “If you checked ‘no’ in response to either of these questions, do not complete this form.”

b. The forms shall also include information noting that, for purposes of voting in a primary election, a person may complete the form if the person is a citizen of the United States of America and will be at least eighteen years of age on the date of the general election.

4. Voter registration forms used by voter registration agencies under section 48A.19 shall include the following statements:

a. If a person declines to register to vote, the fact that the person has declined to register will remain confidential and will be used only for voter registration purposes.

b. If a person does register to vote, the office at which the registrant submits a voter registration form will remain confidential and the information will be used only for voter registration purposes.

5. Voter registration forms may be on paper or electronic media.

6. All forms for voter registration shall be prescribed by the state voter registration commission.

7. A person who has been designated to have power of attorney by a registrant does not have authority to sign a voter registration form, except as otherwise provided in section 39.3, subsection 17.

8. A voter registration application lacking the registrant’s name, sex, date of birth, residence address or description, or signature shall not be processed. A voter registration application lacking the registrant’s Iowa driver’s license number, Iowa nonoperator’s identification card number, or the last four digits of the registrant’s social security number shall not be processed. A registrant whose registration is not processed pursuant to this subsection shall be notified pursuant to section 48A.26, subsection 3. A registrant who does not have an Iowa driver’s license number, an Iowa nonoperator’s identification number, or a social security number and who notifies the registrar of such shall be assigned a unique identifying number that shall serve to identify the registrant for voter registration purposes.

94 Acts, ch 1169, §12; 2002 Acts, ch 1134, §21, 115; 2004 Acts, ch 1083, §7 – 12, 37; 2004 Acts, ch 1175, §355; 2005 Acts, ch 19, §18; 2007 Acts, ch 59, §41, 43; 2008 Acts, ch 1115, §76, 77; 2013 Acts, ch 30, §235; 2017 Acts, ch 110, §56, 64

Referred to in §48A.26, 48A.37, 53.2

2017 amendment to subsection 3, effective January 1, 2019; 2017 Acts, ch 110, §64

Subsection 3 amended