Have a felony conviction in Iowa and want to vote? Find out what you need to do

Gov. Kim Reynolds signed an executive order in 2020 restoring voting rights to Iowans with felony convictions who have completed their sentences. But it’s still not as easy as it could be or should be for them to figure out whether they can vote.

Black Iowa News interviewed Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate. He said the easiest way for people with felony convictions in their backgrounds to find out whether they can vote is to call the Iowa Department of Corrections or their local county auditor’s office, which can confirm eligibility.

“The biggest challenge is the timing of when they were convicted, served their time and finished out all the other requirements of their sentencing. That’s where it gets confusing, and it’s always best that they reach out to the department of corrections to make sure they’ve got all that taken care of,” Pate said.

Call the Iowa Department of Corrections at 515-725-5701.

According to the Iowa Secretary of State’s website, if you have a felony conviction and have completed all terms of confinement, including parole, probation, or other supervised release for all felony convictions and completed any special sentence (Iowa Code chap. 903B), you are eligible to vote. “You need not have paid fines, fees or restitution, or be on a payment plan, to be entitled to vote, though you remain obligated to pay these,” according to the Secretary of State’s website. You can register to vote by mail, online or in person.

However, if you were convicted of a felony homicide or related crimes, once you have completed all terms of confinement, including parole and probation, you must apply for restoration of your voting rights from the governor. “You must have completed repayment of court costs, restitution and fines or be current on a payment plan,” according to the governor’s website.

Check RestoreYourVote.Iowa.gov for more information. Click on “Can I vote?”

Resources

• Register online
• Voter restoration explainer from the ACLU

Basic voting requirements

• A U.S. citizen
• An Iowa resident
• At least 17 years old. A person may vote if they are 18 years old on or before Election Day.

This story first appeared in the Black Iowa Voter Guide.