Absentee Voting 

There are several ways to vote absentee:

  • To vote absentee by mail you must complete a request form. You may contact the Auditor’s Office to request that a form be sent to you.
  • To be sent an absentee ballot by mail, the Auditor’s Office must receive your Absentee Ballot Request form by 5pm on the Monday 15-days before the Election.
  • In-person absentee voting is available in the Auditor’s Office during regular business hours (8am-4:30pm). Absentee voting in-person starts the Wednesday 20-days before the election. The deadline for in-person absentee is the Monday before the election.

Voted absentee ballots returned by mail to the Auditor’s Office must be received by 8:00 pm the night of the Tuesday Election to be counted.


Absentee Ballot Request Form

Complete the Absentee Ballot Request Form (PDF) and send it to:
Dubuque County Elections
720 Central Avenue
P.O. Box 5001
Dubuque, IA 52004

  • Only return one request form per election, even if other Absentee Ballot Request Forms are mailed to your house.
  • Please note that requests cannot be accepted any earlier than 70-days before an election.

Request an Absentee Ballot Request Form

Don't have a printer? Would you like us to mail you an absentee ballot request form?  Complete our online form to receive a request form in the mail. Or you may call the Auditor's Office at (563) 589-4457 and request an absentee ballot request form be mailed to you.

Track Your Absentee Ballot

You may track your absentee ballot to ensure that it has been mailed to you and that it gets returned to the Auditor’s Office.

College Students

Students from Dubuque County have several options when it comes to voting:

  • College students may choose to keep their Dubuque County address and either return home to vote in person on Election Day, vote a Dubuque County ballot by mail, or vote in person at the Auditor’s office.
  • Students may also choose to register in their new state or county and cast a ballot in that jurisdiction. Students should contact their new local election officials for more information.

Requests by Email or Fax

Absentee request forms may also be emailed or faxed to the Election Office; however, the email or fax must be followed up by an original absentee request form. The envelope containing the original request form should be mailed separately from the absentee ballot, and be postmarked by the voter registration deadline for the election and received in the Election Office before the polls close on Election Day in order for the ballot to be counted. The Election Office fax is 563-589-4478.

Lost or Spoiled Ballot

A voter who has requested an absentee ballot may obtain a replacement ballot if they declare that the original ballot was lost or did not arrive. The commissioner will provide a duplicate ballot to a voter who requests one in writing or orally. Contact the Election Office at 563-589-4457 for more information.

Mailing or Returning Voted Ballots

Absentee ballots returned by mail must be received before 8:00 pm on Election Day. Absentee ballots may be mailed to the commissioner. Postage will be paid by the Election Office. 

A ballot may be hand-delivered to the Election Office, no later than 8:00 pm on Election Day. There is also an absentee ballot drop box located behind the Courthouse in the alley for you to securely drop off your ballot.

A voted absentee ballot may not be turned in at the polling place on election day, except to be surrendered and voided, in which case the voter will be allowed to vote at their polling place.

Health Care Facility Residents

Under Iowa law the county auditor must send a bipartisan team of election officials to hand-deliver ballots to residents of health care facilities, assist in the voting of the residents, and return the ballots safely to the Auditor’s office where they are securely stored until they are counted. Voting at health care facilities is often coordinated through the activities department at each facility so please check with the staff to obtain a ballot request form to be brought a ballot.

Hospital Patients

Voters who are admitted to a hospital or health care facility in the three days immediately prior to an election may request an absentee ballot and it will be hand-delivered to them to vote and then returned to the Auditor’s office. Please contact the Auditor’s office immediately if you are hospitalized and would like to vote.