Drake University is once again proud to have secured our campus as an early voting site on Monday, Oct. 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Knapp Center. Learn more. Below you’ll find information on how to vote as well as some of our upcoming events.

Register to Vote

If you plan to vote in Iowa, check your voter registration and make sure your address is current. College students may choose to register at their home address or their Drake address but may only be registered in one location. The deadline to pre-register or update your registration is Monday, Oct. 19. Iowa also allows eligible voters to register or update their registration when voting early or on Election Day. Check your Iowa voter registration or polling location. 

Ways to Vote

Iowa voters have several options:

Vote early on campus. Drake was once again named a satellite voting location. Vote early on Oct. 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Knapp Center. The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge voter celebration will also be held on Oct. 19 in Helmick Commons from 12 p.m.–4 p.m. Enjoy the food trucks, register to vote, request an absentee ballot, or walk with us to the polls! 

Vote absentee by mail. Absentee ballot requests must be received by your county auditor by 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19.

Vote on Election Day. Polls will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3. You must vote at the polling location assigned to your address. If you are using your campus address, your polling location will be Lutheran Church of Hope (2500 University Ave.). 

On-campus residents registering on-site must bring a government-issued ID and a screenshot and/or printout of documentation showing your current Drake address. To access your residence hall address for proof of residency, you can sign into myDrake and under the My Drake Profile category select My Addresses. We highly recommend you bring a printout of your proof of residency when going to vote.

Upcoming Events

The Ron and Jane Olson Institute for Public Democracy (OIPD) is also organizing two associated events—an early vote party on October 19 and a teach-in event on October 23.

Early Vote Party

The early voting party will occur Oct. 19 at Helmick Commons from 12–4 p.m. and will include food, music, opportunity to register to vote, and available absentee ballots. At 4 p.m., everyone will walk to Knapp to cast their ballots.

Drake Decides: A Teach-In on the 2026 Election

Presented by the Ron and Jane Olson Institute for Public Democracy, Drake University 

When: Friday, Oct. 23 9:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. in the Cowles Library Reading Room

All students are invited to a teach-in to learn more about the 2026 election. Sessions will run back-to-back; come and go as your schedule allows. Coffee, DoughCo and snacks will be served.

9:45 am: Welcome and how to vote 

10:00: Creating a culture of civility: How to build community at Drake in a divided time 

11:15 am: Break 

11:30 am: What’s on the ballot, why it matters, and how to cut through the noise 

12:30 pm: New World Disorder? The end of the post-World War II international order 

2:00 pm: Break 

2:15 pm: Drake Students: What matters to you in the 2026 Election and why 

3:30 pm: Trust your vote: what happens to your ballot from the box to the certified count

— Jessica Vanden Berg, The Olson Institute for Public Democracy