Processing, counting, and challenging absentee/mail-in ballots in Iowa, 2020

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In August 2020, The New York Times estimated that 80 million Americans would vote by absentee/mail-in ballot in November 2020. That would have been more than double the number who did so in November 2016. The processes states use to count absentee/mail-in ballots have come under closer inspection by state officials, candidates, political parties, and the media.

This article describes the rules in Iowa for processing, counting, and rejecting absentee/mail-in ballots in effect for the November 2020 election. It includes:

• How ballots are processed and counted
• Whether ballots can be challenged
• Conditions for rejecting a ballot
• Whether voters can correct mistakes on a ballot

The 2020 election took place against a backdrop of uncertainty. Our readers had questions about what to expect in elections at all levels of government, from the casting of ballots to the certification of final results. Ballotpedia's 2020 Election Help Desk was designed to answer those questions.

Processing and counting ballots

See also: When states can begin processing and counting absentee/mail-in ballots, 2020

Upon receiving completed absentee/mail-in ballots, election officials must first process the ballots before they can be counted. Processing generally entails verifying voter signatures and physically preparing ballots for tabulation. Processing practices can vary widely from state to state. Counting entails the actual tabulation of votes.

The table below highlights key dates and deadlines related to absentee/mail-in voting in Iowa for the November 2020 election.

Absentee voting in Iowa: Nov. 3, 2020, election.

Were there limits on who can request a ballot?

No

What was the deadline for requesting a ballot by mail?

Oct. 24, 2020

Was the request deadline a postmark or receipt deadline?

Postmarked

What was the deadline for returning a voted ballot by mail?

Nov. 2, 2020

Was the return deadline a postmark or receipt deadline?

Postmarked

Were there notary or witness requirements?

No requirement

Processing ballots

Officials in Iowa began processing absentee/mail-in ballots on October 31, 2020. As of November 2020, Iowa law included the following provision for processing absentee/mail-in ballots:

“

1. When the return envelope containing the completed absentee ballot is received by the commissioner, the commissioner shall at once record receipt of such ballot. Absentee ballots shall be stored in a secure place until they are delivered to the absentee and special voters precinct board. 2. If the commissioner receives the return envelope containing the completed absentee ballot by 5:00 p.m. on the Saturday before the election for general elections and by 5:00 p.m. on the Friday before the election for all other elections, the commissioner shall review the affidavit marked on the return envelope, if applicable, for completeness or shall open the return envelope to review the affidavit for completeness. If the affidavit is incomplete, the commissioner shall, within twenty-four hours of the time the envelope was received, notify the voter of that fact and that the voter may complete the affidavit in person at the office of the commissioner by 5:00 p.m. on the day before the election, vote a replacement ballot in the manner and within the time period provided in subsection 3, or appear at the voter’s precinct polling place on election day and cast a ballot in accordance with section 53.19, subsection 3.

”

See law: IA Code § 53.18 (2019)

Counting ballots

Officials in Iowa began counting absentee/mail-in ballots on November 3, 2020. As of November 2020, Iowa law included the following provision for counting absentee/mail-in ballots:

“

52.33 Absentee voting by optical scan voting system. 1. In any county in which the board of supervisors has adopted voting by means of an optical scan voting system, the commissioner shall also conduct absentee voting by use of such a system. In any other county, the commissioner may with approval of the board of supervisors conduct absentee voting by use of an optical scan voting system. All provisions of chapter 53 shall apply to such absentee voting, so far as applicable. In counties where absentee voting is conducted by use of an optical scan voting system, the special precinct counting board shall, at the time required by chapter 53, prepare absentee ballots for tabulation in the manner prescribed by this chapter. 2. The absentee and special precinct board shall follow the process prescribed in section 52.37, subsection 1, in handling damaged or defective ballots and in counting write-in votes on optical scan ballots.

”

See law: IA Code § 52.33 (2019)

Iowa law included the following provision for who may count absentee/mail-in ballots:

“

At every election conducted under chapter 49, except the primary election provided for by chapter 43, and at every other election unless the law authorizing the election otherwise requires, the vote shall be canvassed at each polling place by the election board in the manner prescribed by this chapter. When the poll is closed, the precinct election officials shall forthwith, and without adjournment: 1. Publicly canvass the vote, and credit each candidate with the number of votes counted for the candidate. 2. Ascertain the result of the vote. 3. Prepare in writing a list of any apparently or possibly erroneous information appearing in the precinct election register. 4. Designate two election board members, not members of the same political party, who shall each separately keep a tally list of the count.

”

See law: IA Code § 50.1A (2019)

Iowa law included the following provision for poll watchers:

“

The following persons shall be permitted to be present at and in the immediate vicinity of the polling places, provided they do not solicit votes: 1. Any person who is by law authorized to perform or is charged with the performance of official duties at the election. 2. Any number of persons, not exceeding three at a time from each political party having candidates to be voted for at such election, to act as challenging committees, who are appointed and accredited by the executive or central committee of such political party or organization. 3. Any number of persons not exceeding three at a time from each of such political parties, appointed and accredited in the same manner as prescribed in subsection 2 for challenging committees, and any number of persons not exceeding three at a time appointed as observers under subsection 5, to witness the counting of ballots. 4. Any peace officer assigned or called upon to keep order or maintain compliance with the provisions of this chapter, upon request of the commissioner or of the chairperson of the precinct election board. 5. One observer at a time representing any nonparty political organization, any candidate nominated by petition pursuant to chapter 45, or any other nonpartisan candidate in a city or school election, appearing on the ballot of the election in progress. Candidates who send observers to the polls shall provide each observer with a letter of appointment in the form prescribed by the state commissioner.

”

See law: IA Code § 49.104 (2019)

Challenging ballots

Absentee/mail-in ballots may be challenged in an attempt to prevent the ballot from being counted. Ballots may be challenged for a variety of reasons, including: allegations that the voter is not qualified to vote in the election, the ballot was not received by the stated deadline, or that the voter had already voted in the same election. The methods and reasons for challenging ballots vary and are provided in state law. States without such provisions do not allow challenging absentee/mail-in ballots.

As of November 2020, Iowa law included the following provision for challenging ballots:

“

Any person qualified to vote at the election in progress may challenge the qualifications of a person casting an absentee ballot by submitting a written challenge to the commissioner no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Friday before the election. It is the duty of the special precinct officials to challenge the absentee ballot of any person whom the official knows or suspects is not duly qualified. Challenges by members of the special precinct election board or observers present pursuant to section 53.23 may be made at any time before the close of the polls on election day. The challenge shall state the reasons for which the challenge is being submitted and shall be signed by the challenger. When a challenge is received the absentee ballot shall be set aside for consideration by the special precinct election board when it meets as required by section 50.22.

”

See law: IA Code § 53.31 (2019)

As of November 2020, Iowa law included the following provision for handling challenged ballots:

“

The commissioner shall immediately send a written notice to the elector whose qualifications have been challenged. The notice shall be sent to the address at which the challenged elector is registered to vote. If the ballot was mailed to the challenged elector, the notice shall also be sent to the address to which the ballot was mailed if it is different from the elector’s registration address. The notice shall advise the elector of the reason for the challenge, the date and time that the special precinct election board will reconvene to determine challenges, and that the elector has the right to submit written evidence of the elector’s qualifications. The notice shall include the telephone number of the commissioner’s office. If the commissioner has access to a facsimile machine, the notice shall include the telephone number of the facsimile machine. As far as possible, other procedures for considering provisional ballots shall be followed.

”

See law: IA Code § 53.31 (2019)

Rejecting ballots

As of November 2020, Iowa law included the following provision for rejecting absentee/mail-in ballots:

“

1. a. If the absentee voter’s affidavit lacks the voter’s signature, if the applicant is not a duly registered voter on election day in the precinct where the absentee ballot was cast, if the envelope marked with the affidavit contains more than one ballot of any one kind, or if the voter has voted in person, such vote shall be rejected by the absentee and special voters precinct board. If the affidavit envelope or return envelope marked with the affidavit is open, or has been opened and resealed, or if the ballot is not enclosed in such envelope, and an affidavit envelope or return envelope marked with the affidavit with the same serial number and marked “Replacement ballot” is not attached as provided in section 53.18, the ballot shall be rejected by the absentee and special voters precinct board. b. If a voter casts a provisional ballot pursuant to section 49.78, subsection 7, and the voter has failed to establish the voter’s identity at the commissioner’s office, the provisional ballot shall be rejected by the absentee and special voters precinct board. 2. If the absentee or provisional ballot is rejected prior to the opening of the affidavit envelope or return envelope marked with the affidavit, the voter casting the ballot shall be notified by a precinct election official by the time the canvass is completed of the reason for the rejection on a form prescribed by the state commissioner of elections.

”

See law: IA Code § 53.25 (2019)

Ballot curing

Ballot curing refers to the process by which voters can correct mistakes—such as a missing or mismatched signature—with an absentee/mail-in ballot so that the ballot can be counted. Ballot curing provisions lay out this process in state law. States without such provisions do not count absentee/mail-in ballots with errors.

As of November 2020, Iowa law included the following provision for curing ballots:

“

3. If the affidavit envelope or the return envelope marked with the affidavit contains a defect that would cause the absentee ballot to be rejected by the absentee and special voters precinct board, the commissioner shall immediately notify the voter of that fact and that the voter’s absentee ballot shall not be counted unless the voter requests and returns a replacement ballot in the time permitted under section 53.17, subsection 2. For the purposes of this section, a return envelope marked with the affidavit shall be considered to contain a defect if it appears to the commissioner that the signature on the envelope has been signed by someone other than the registered voter, in comparing the signature on the envelope to the signature on record of the registered voter named on the envelope. A signature or marking made in accordance with section 39.3, subsection 17, shall not be considered a defect for purposes of this section. The voter may request a replacement ballot in person, in writing, or over the telephone. The same serial number that was assigned to the records of the original absentee ballot application shall be used on the envelope and records of the replacement ballot. The envelope marked with the affidavit and containing the completed replacement ballot shall be marked “Replacement ballot”. The envelope marked with the affidavit and containing the original ballot shall be marked “Defective” and the replacement ballot shall be attached to such envelope containing the original ballot and shall be stored in a secure place until they are delivered to the absentee and special voters precinct board, notwithstanding sections 53.26 and 53.27.

”

See law: IA Code § 53.18 (2019)

Rules in other states

Click on a state below to view information on processing, counting, and challenging absentee/mail-in ballots in that state.

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

More frequently asked questions about the 2020 election

Click on a question below to read the answer:

• General election information
  • Who runs elections in the United States?
  • Why do states have different election rules?
  • What methods do states use to prevent election fraud?
  • Do you have to vote for everything on your ballot?
  • What happens if you mark outside the lines or use the wrong pen/pencil?
  • What is a spoiled ballot?
  • What is a write-in candidate?
  • How can I check the status of my ballot?
  • Can I take a ballot selfie?

• Presidential election
  • What happens if a presidential candidate declares victory in the 2020 election before results are final?
  • Can presidential candidates win the election if they have already conceded?
  • What are the steps and deadlines for electing the President of the United States?
  • What happens if there is a tie in the Electoral College?
  • What are faithless electors in the Electoral College?
  • What happens if a presidential nominee becomes incapacitated before the election?
  • Can members of Congress object to Electoral College results?

• Processing and counting absentee/mail-in ballots
  • What is the life cycle of an absentee/mail-in ballot?
  • What happens if I vote by mail and want to change my ballot at a later date?
  • What happens if someone votes by mail and then tries to vote in person?
  • How do states protect and verify absentee/mail-in ballots?
  • How do election workers match signatures?
  • Are results reported on election night coming from in-person or absentee/mail-in votes?
  • Do states report how many mail-in/absentee ballots are outstanding on election night?
  • Do absentee/mail-in ballots take longer to count than in-person ballots?
  • What happens if someone votes by mail-in ballot or absentee ballot and subsequently passes away before Election Day?

• Disputing election results
  • How will election recounts work?
  • How close does an election have to be to trigger an automatic recount?
  • Can a candidate or voter request a recount?
  • Who pays for recounts and contested elections?
  • What are poll watchers?
  • What does it mean to challenge a voter's eligibility, and who can do it?
  • What is a redo election?
  • Who can file election-related lawsuits?
  • What are the reasons to call a redo election?
  • Who can call a redo election?
  • Can a redo be held for a presidential election?

• Election result reporting and certification
  • What happens if candidates declare victory in the 2020 election before results are final?
  • Can candidates win an election if they have already conceded?
  • How and when are election results finalized?
  • How do major media outlets declare winners?

• Transitions of power and taking office
  • Who is the president if election results are unknown by January 20, 2021?
  • Who serves in Congress if election results are unknown by January 2021?
  • Who serves in a state or local government if election results are unknown?
  • What happens if the winning presidential candidate becomes incapacitated before taking office?

• Articles about potential scenarios in the 2020 election
• U.S. Supreme Court actions affecting the November 3, 2020, general election

See also

• Ballotpedia's 2020 Election Help Desk
• Ballotpedia's 2020 Election Help Desk: Processing and counting absentee/mail-in ballots
• Absentee/mail-in voting, 2020