You'll need Voter ID to cast a ballot in May 1st's electric utility referendum

When City of Decorah residents go to the polls on Tuesday, May 1st to decide the fate of a proposal to investigate starting a municipal electric utility, they will be asked to show their IDs.

Iowa's new voting law is going into effect in 2018 in what is being described as a "soft start."  That means the full law won't go into effect until 2019, but several of the provisions will be in effect in 2018.  The most noticeable change is that voters will be asked to show their ID before they can be allowed to vote.  A driver's license or Iowa DOT non-driver ID will be considered as sufficient identification.

But what about the roughly 5 to 10-percent of Iowans who do not have such forms of identification?  Winneshiek County Auditor Ben Steines says most of them should have received a voter ID in the mail in December.  Upon receipt of the Voter ID Card, residents should have signed the card immediately and put it in their purse or wallet so they will have it with them when they go to vote on May 1st.

Steines says there are other forms of voter identification which will be accepted.  You can bring your passport, or Veterans Administration card or military service card.  Someone who knows you can attest you are the person you claim to be.  And if all else fails, for this year only, you can sign an affidavit while you are at the polling place.

Steines says the best approach, however, is to get used to always bringing voter identification with you when you're heading to the polls.  You'll have "a lot of chances" to get used to the new procedures during 2018, he says, because there will be many elections between now and the end of the year.