Absentee Ballots

Requesting a Ballot


To request a ballot, print and complete the form and deliver it to our office by mail or in person. For Domestic Voters, use the Absentee Ballot Request - Domestic Voters (PDF).

The deadline to request a ballot by mail is the Friday before an election. Requests must be received in our office by 5 p.m. You may still vote in person at our office through the day before the election.

Uniformed Services & U.S. Citizens Overseas


If you are in the uniformed services or a U.S. citizen living overseas, please visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program for more information about voting.

Submitting Your Ballot Request


Please send your ballot request to:
Clayton County Auditor's Office
Attn: Elections
111 High St NE, Suite 102
Elkader, IA 52043-0416

For more information, please contact our office at 563-245-1106.

Once Your Request is Received


Upon receiving your request, and when ballots are available, an absentee ballot, instructions, and return envelope will be mailed to you by the next business day.


Mailing Your Ballot


Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked by the day before the election and received prior to the official canvass in order to be counted. Ballots may also be returned in person to the Auditor's Office prior to the close of the polls on Election Day.

Tracking Your Ballot


After an absentee ballot request has been processed, voters may visit Track Your Absentee Ballot to access a feature that allows for all absentee voters - military and nonmilitary - to track the progress of their ballot. The tracker provides the date the request was processed by the county auditor and the dates the ballot was mailed to the voter and returned to the county auditor’s office.