2026 General Election county updates

Adams County: The county auditor’s official upcoming-elections page identifies the November 3, 2026 General Election. The county’s current precinct page lists four Adams County precincts and directs voters to Iowa’s official polling-place lookup; voters should confirm their assigned location because the county notes polling places can change by election. Adams County’s current “Find Your Polling Place & Sample Ballot” page still labels its lookup for the 2024 General Election, so IA Fact Check is not treating that stale lookup label as evidence that finalized 2026 General Election sample ballots are available. Official Adams County upcoming elections · Official precinct/polling-place list · Official polling-place/sample-ballot lookup.

Ringgold County: The county election office has an official November 3, 2026 General Election page. Its absentee-voting section says absentee ballots will be available beginning October 14, August 25 is the first day a General Election absentee request may be submitted, October 19 is the last day a ballot may be mailed to a voter, and in-person absentee voting closes November 2. The page also directs voters to Iowa’s official polling-place lookup. Important: a separate “Dates and Deadlines” subsection on the same county page contains apparent stale/inconsistent dates (including October 16/21 and “November 5”), so IA Fact Check is not reproducing those conflicting labels and is relying on the internally consistent November 3 election heading and absentee-voting section. Ringgold County’s official sample-ballot index currently lists 2026 Primary ballots but does not list finalized precinct-specific 2026 General Election sample ballots. Official Ringgold County General Election page · Official Ringgold County sample-ballot index.

Clay County: The county auditor’s official election page now lists the November 3, 2026 General Election and provides official links for voters to find their polling place and review the county’s current polling places and precincts. The page also links Iowa’s official voter-registration, absentee-ballot request and absentee-ballot tracking services. Finalized precinct-specific 2026 General Election sample ballots are not currently posted on the county election page, so IA Fact Check is not marking sample ballots as available yet. Official Clay County elections page.

Wayne County: The county auditor’s official November 3, 2026 General Election page publishes the full election calendar and all four precinct/polling locations: Allerton at the Civic Center, Corydon at the Wayne County Courthouse lower-level conference room, Humeston at the Community Building, and Seymour at the Community Building. The page lists August 25 as the first day absentee-ballot request forms may be submitted, October 14 as the first day absentee ballots may be mailed or voted in person, October 19 as both the voter pre-registration and mailed-ballot-request deadline, November 2 as the final day for in-person absentee voting, and Election Day polling hours of 7:00 AM–8:00 PM. The General Election page does not currently link finalized precinct-specific 2026 General Election sample ballots. Official Wayne County General Election page.

Tama County: The auditor’s official November 3, 2026 General Election page lists Election Day polling hours of 7:00 AM–8:00 PM and publishes the county’s current 13-precinct voting structure, including polling locations in Chelsea, Clutier, Dysart, Elberon, Garwin, Gladbrook, the Meskwaki Settlement, Lincoln, Montour, Tama, Toledo and Traer. The county explicitly says its sample ballots, candidate list and public notice will be posted once available, so IA Fact Check is not marking finalized precinct-specific 2026 General Election sample ballots as available yet. Official Tama County General Election page.

Davis County: The county’s official 2026 General Election page lists six Election Day polling-place/precinct groupings: Bloomfield precincts at the Bloomfield Fire Station; Central at Southern Iowa Electric Coop; Northeast at Floris Community Hall; Northwest at Drakesville City Park Shelter House; Southeast at Pulaski Community Center; and Southwest at West Grove Township Hall. The page lists Election Day polling hours of 7:00 AM–8:00 PM and says absentee voting begins October 14. It labels a “Sample Ballots by Polling Place” area, but no clickable finalized 2026 General Election sample-ballot files are currently provided. Official Davis County election page.

Marion County: The auditor’s official November 3, 2026 General Election page lists August 25 as the first day absentee-ballot requests may be received, October 14 as the first day absentee ballots may be mailed and in-person absentee voting begins, October 19 as both the voter pre-registration and mailed-ballot-request deadline, November 2 as the final day for in-person absentee voting, and Election Day polling hours of 7:00 AM–8:00 PM. The page identifies 17 precincts for election-night reporting. The official General Election page does not currently publish finalized precinct-specific 2026 General Election sample ballots. Official Marion County General Election page.

Franklin County: The auditor’s official November 3, 2026 General Election page lists August 25 as the first day absentee-ballot request forms may be submitted, October 14 as the first day ballots may be mailed and in-person absentee voting begins, October 19 as the voter pre-registration and mailed-ballot-request deadline, and November 2 at 4:00 PM as the end of in-person absentee voting. Election Day polling locations are open 7:00 AM–8:00 PM. The county also posts a specific polling-place notice for this election: Wisner/Scott will vote at the Latimer Community Center. Franklin County’s official sample-ballot index currently lists a September 8 school special-election ballot and the June primary ballots, but does not list finalized precinct-specific 2026 General Election sample ballots. Official Franklin County General Election page · Official sample-ballot index.

Benton County: The auditor’s official November 3, 2026 General Election page lists August 25 as the first day absentee-ballot request forms may be accepted, October 14 as the first day ballots may be mailed and in-person absentee voting begins, October 19 at 5:00 PM as the pre-registration and mailed-ballot-request deadline, and November 2 at 5:00 PM as the end of in-person absentee voting. The page identifies 18 precincts for election-night reporting. The county’s election index does not yet offer finalized precinct-specific 2026 General Election sample ballots. Official Benton County General Election page.

Johnson County: The auditor lists five permanent polling-place moves since the 2024 General Election (Iowa City 4, Madison, North Liberty 2, North Liberty 7 and Washington) and says official General Election sample ballots will appear in its Polling Place Lookup in September. Official Johnson County election page.

Johnson County / Kirkwood Community College — Public Measure NC: Johnson County’s official November 3 General Election page now publishes the ballot question for a Kirkwood Community College (Merged Area X) bond. The measure asks voters in Benton, Black Hawk, Buchanan, Cedar, Clinton, Delaware, Dubuque, Iowa, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Jones, Keokuk, Linn, Louisa, Poweshiek, Tama and Washington counties to authorize general-obligation bonds of up to $88 million for facility renovation, modernization and equipment, with emphasis on health sciences, industrial technologies, agricultural sciences, and business/information technology. The official page states the measure requires 60% approval. This is an official ballot-issue notice, not an IA Fact Check recommendation. Johnson County still says precinct-specific sample ballots will be available through its polling-place lookup in September. Official Johnson County General Election page.

Scott County: The auditor’s dedicated November 3, 2026 General Election page says absentee-ballot request forms will be mailed beginning August 24, but forms cannot be dated or received before August 25. Ballots will begin mailing October 14. The voter pre-registration deadline is October 19 at 5:00 PM, and Election Day voting runs 7:00 AM–8:00 PM. The county maintains a separate official sample-ballot page, but its indexed content does not currently show finalized precinct-specific 2026 General Election ballot files, so IA Fact Check is not marking General Election samples as available yet. Official Scott County General Election page · Official Scott County sample-ballot page.

Polk County: The election office lists August 25 as the first day to submit absentee-ballot requests, October 14 as the first day for in-person early voting, October 19 as the absentee-request and pre-registration deadline, and says sample ballots and polling places will be posted once finalized. Official Polk County election page.

Dallas County: The auditor’s 2026 General Election page now lists current polling locations and identifies four locations changed since the prior election: Clive 6 (Westwind Church), Lincoln/Washington/Linn (Linden Lions Club), Urbandale 14 (Heartland Presbyterian Church) and Urbandale 16 (The Mission Church). It also lists October 14 as the first day for in-person early voting and October 19 as the absentee-request and pre-registration deadline. The page does not yet provide a finalized General Election sample-ballot link. Official Dallas County election page.

Black Hawk County: Beginning with the 2026 election, county supervisors are elected from five districts rather than at large. All five district seats are on the November 3 General Election ballot; voters cast a supervisor vote only for the district in which they live. The county election office publishes the official district-to-precinct mapping, interactive maps, polling-location guidance, and October 14 / October 19 absentee-voting deadlines. Its sample-ballot index does not yet list 2026 General Election ballots. Official supervisor-district page · Official General Election page.

Pottawattamie County: The auditor’s official 2026 General Election page lists August 25 as the first day to submit an absentee-ballot request, October 14 as the start of in-person absentee voting and the date absentee ballots are ready to be mailed, October 19 as the last day the auditor can mail an absentee ballot, and October 31 as a Saturday early-voting opportunity. Election Day polling hours are 7:00 AM–8:00 PM. The county’s candidate-information area is still marked “Coming Soon,” and the page does not yet publish finalized 2026 General Election sample ballots. Official Pottawattamie County General Election page.

Story County: For the 2026 Primary and General elections, Story County is moving from at-large county-supervisor elections to three district-based contests under Senate File 75. All three supervisor seats are on the November 3 General Election ballot, and voters elect only the supervisor for the district in which they live. The county says the initial terms are two years for District 1 and four years for Districts 2 and 3; its jurisdictional-maps page now links the Board of Supervisors district map and precinct polling-location map. Official Story County district-election notice · Official jurisdictional maps.

Lucas County: The auditor’s official November 3, 2026 General Election page now lists all seven Election Day polling locations: Chariton 1 at Chariton City Hall, Chariton 2 at the Chariton Community Center, L.C. Extension at the Lucas Community Center, Lucas at the Lucas Community Building, Pin Oak Marsh at Pin Oak Marsh Lodge, Russell at the Russell Community Center, and Williamson at the Williamson Community Center. The page does not yet publish finalized precinct-specific General Election sample ballots. Official Lucas County General Election page.

Jones County: The auditor’s official November 3, 2026 General Election page lists eight Election Day polling locations: Anamosa Lawrence Center, Monticello Berndes Center, Martelle Fire Station, Oxford Junction Community Center, Temple Hill Parish Hall, Olin School Community Room, Onslow Community Room, and Wyoming Calkins Barn. It also lists August 25 as the first day to submit absentee-ballot requests, October 14 as the first day of in-person absentee voting, October 19 as the voter pre-registration and mailed-ballot-request deadline, and November 3 polling hours of 7:00 AM–8:00 PM. The page does not yet publish finalized precinct-specific General Election sample ballots. Marion County General Election · Official Jones County General Election page.

Hancock County: The auditor’s official November 3, 2026 General Election page lists all 10 Election Day precinct locations: Precinct 1 at Faith Lutheran Church (Miller) in Garner, Precinct 2 at Crystal Lake Town Hall, Precinct 3 at Woden Community Center, Precinct 4 at Britt Municipal Building, Precinct 5 at Duncan Community Hall, Precinct 6 at Garner Public Library, Precinct 7 at Klemme City Hall, Precinct 8 at Corwith Community Center, Precinct 9 at Kanawha City Hall, and Precinct 10 at Goodell Community Hall. It also lists August 25 as the first day absentee-ballot request forms may be accepted, October 14 as the first day of in-person absentee voting and mailing of absentee ballots, October 19 as the pre-registration and mailed-ballot-request deadline, and November 2 as the final day for in-person absentee voting. The page does not yet publish finalized precinct-specific 2026 General Election sample ballots. Official Hancock County General Election page.

Shelby County: The auditor’s official November 3, 2026 General Election page lists six precinct/polling-location groupings: Cass-Lincoln/Jackson-Center at the Therkildsen Center in Harlan; Clay-Monroe at Elk Horn City Hall; Douglas-Polk/Greeley-Jefferson at the Irwin Community Building; Grove-Union-Washington-Westphalia at St. Joseph’s Hall in Earling; Harlan wards 1–4 at the Therkildsen Center; and Shelby-Fairview at the Shelby Community Building. The county’s precinct page confirms the same locations. The official General Election page does not yet publish finalized precinct-specific 2026 General Election sample ballots. Official Shelby County General Election page · Official precinct/polling-place list.

Crawford County: The auditor’s official November 3, 2026 General Election page lists all eight precinct groupings and Election Day locations: Charter Oak at the Charter Oak Community Club; DCAB at the Brasel Building in Dow City; Denison wards 1–3 at the Boulders Conference Center; Northeast at the Vail Community Building; Southeast at the Manilla Fire Station; and SRK at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Schleswig. The page also lists August 25 as the first day to submit an absentee-ballot request, October 14 as the first day of in-person absentee voting, October 19 as the voter pre-registration and mailed-ballot-request deadline, October 31 Saturday auditor hours, November 2 as the in-person absentee deadline, and Election Day polls from 7:00 AM–8:00 PM. The official General Election page does not yet publish finalized precinct-specific 2026 General Election sample ballots. Official Crawford County General Election page · Official precinct/polling-place list.

Mitchell County: The auditor’s official November 3, 2026 General Election page states that Election Day polling places will be open from 7:00 AM–8:00 PM and lists extended auditor-office hours for September 17, October 19, October 30 and October 31. It lists August 25 as the first day absentee-ballot request forms may be submitted, October 14 as the beginning of absentee-ballot availability for mail and in-person voting, October 19 as the voter pre-registration and mailed-ballot deadline, and November 2 as the final day for in-person absentee voting. The county’s election index does not currently list a finalized 2026 General Election sample ballot. Official Mitchell County General Election page.

Jasper County: The auditor’s official November 3, 2026 General Election page lists August 25 as the first day to submit mailed absentee-ballot requests, October 14 as the first day of in-person absentee voting, October 19 as the mailed-ballot-request deadline, October 31 Saturday voting hours, November 2 as the final day for in-person absentee voting, and Election Day polls from 7:00 AM–8:00 PM. The county’s official precinct page lists 20 voting precincts and their current polling locations, with a Secretary of State polling-place lookup link for voters to confirm where they vote. The county’s sample-ballot page does not yet list a finalized 2026 General Election sample ballot. Official Jasper County General Election page · Official precinct/polling-place list · Official sample-ballot index.

Delaware County: The auditor’s official November 3, 2026 General Election page lists August 25 as the first day to submit absentee-ballot requests, October 14 as the first day absentee ballots may be mailed and the first day of in-person absentee voting, October 19 as the voter pre-registration and mailed-ballot-request deadline, November 2 at 5:00 PM as the end of in-person absentee voting, and November 3 as General Election Day. The page also summarizes Iowa voter-ID, proof-of-residence and Election Day registration requirements. The county’s current General Election page does not yet publish finalized precinct-specific 2026 General Election sample ballots. Official Delaware County General Election page.

Cerro Gordo County: The auditor’s official November 3, 2026 General Election page states that polls will be open from 7:00 AM–8:00 PM and links the county precinct list for polling-location information. It lists August 25 as the first day absentee-ballot request forms may be accepted, October 14 as the first day absentee ballots may be mailed and in-person absentee voting may begin, October 19 at 5:00 PM as the voter pre-registration and mailed-ballot-request deadline, and November 2 at 5:00 PM as the in-person absentee deadline. The page does not currently publish a finalized precinct-specific 2026 General Election sample ballot. Official Cerro Gordo County General Election page.

Cedar County: The auditor’s official November 3, 2026 General Election page lists August 25 through October 19 as the request period for mailed absentee ballots, October 14 through November 2 for in-person absentee voting, extended auditor-office voting hours on October 19, October 30 and October 31, and Election Day polling hours of 7:00 AM–8:00 PM. The page links an official polling-locations document for the county’s 12 precincts. It also explicitly notes that ballots are not required to be available on October 14 and says additional ballot-availability information will be posted closer to Election Day; no finalized precinct-specific 2026 General Election sample ballot is currently posted. Official Cedar County General Election page.

Chickasaw County: The county’s official government calendar now lists August 25, 2026 as the first day the Auditor’s Office will accept absentee-ballot request forms for the November 3 General Election. The county election office also publishes its current precinct/polling-place list for Bradford, Chickasaw North, Dayton/Richland, Lawler-Fredericksburg, New Hampton Rural and New Hampton wards 1–4. Voters should still confirm their assigned location before Election Day because polling places can change. The official county sample-ballot index currently lists 2026 Primary ballots but does not list finalized 2026 General Election sample ballots. Official Chickasaw County government calendar · Official precinct/polling-place list · Official sample-ballot index.

Ballot watch: These pages provide official election guidance, but none of these twenty-four counties is yet publishing finalized precinct-specific 2026 General Election sample ballots. IA Fact Check will link the official samples when posted.