Election Guide: What you need to know before heading to the polls today
Election Day is Tuesday in the Des Moines metro. Here's everything you need to know before heading to the polls:
Q: Who is running?
A: This is a regular city election. There are city council seats and, in some cases, mayoral seats on the ballot. (See below for a full list of candidates and links to their bios.)
In addition, several cities have public measures on the ballot.
Voters in Dallas County cities will decide whether they want to increase the local sales tax by 1 cent.
MORE:What will Dallas County do with 1-cent sales tax money?
Urbandale will ask its residents whether the city should issue $6 million in bonds to pay for a third fire station.
Q: Where do I vote?
A: Registered voters can visit the Iowa Secretary of State's website to find their polling locations. Polling locations also can be found on the Polk County auditor's website and the Dallas County auditor's website.
Q: What if I'm not registered, can I still vote?
A: Yes. You can register at your polling location if you bring a valid ID and proof of residence. If you don't have either of those things you can bring a registered voter from your precinct to attest that you are who you say you are. Details can be found here.
MORE:Which candidate has spent the most in Des Moines' city council races?
Q: Do I need to show an ID to vote?
A: No. Iowa's new voter ID law signed in May does not go into effect until the June 2018 gubernatorial primaries. At that time, all voters will need to show a driver's license, non-operators' ID, military ID, passport or a new state-issued voter ID card. If voters don't have proper ID, they'll be asked to cast a provisional ballot.
Q: When can I vote?
A: If you have not already cast a ballot, the polls are open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Q: Can my vote really make a difference?
A: Absolutely. Local elections have notoriously low voter turnout. The last city election, in 2015, saw just 6.5 percent of registered voters turn out to vote in Des Moines. That year, Linda Westergaard won the city's Ward 2 seat by 206 votes.
GUEST COLUMN:Make your voice heard, be a voter on Nov. 7
Q: Where can I learn more about who's running?
A: Check out our candidate bios below. Click on the names for more information about each person running.
Des Moines
Seats open: One at-large council seat, Wards 1 and Ward 3 council seats
At large: (Vote for no more than 1)
Ward 1: (Vote for no more than 1)
Ward 3: (Vote for no more than 1)
Altoona
Seats: Mayor, three at-large council seats
Mayor:
Dean O'Connor
At large: (Vote for no more than 3)
Jeremy M. Boka*
Scott Duer
Kyle D. Mertz*
Ankeny
Seats open: Mayor, two at-large council seats
Mayor: (Vote for no more than 1)
Dennis Presnall (Presnall's name will appear on the ballot, but he announced Oct. 19 on Facebook that he was withdrawing from the race.)
At large: (Vote for no more than 2)
Dallas Center
Seats open: Mayor, two at-large council seats
Mayor: (Vote for no more than 1)
At large: (Vote for no more than 2)
Grimes
Seats open: Mayor, three at-large council seats
Mayor: (Vote for no more than 1)
At large: (Vote for no more than 3)
Johnston
Seats open: Mayor, two at-large council seats
Mayor: (Vote for no more than 1)
Paula Dierenfeld*
At large: (Vote for no more than 2)
Pleasant Hill
Seats open: Mayor, two at-large council seats
Mayor: (Vote for no more than 1)
Sara Kurovski
At large: (Vote for no more than 2)
Dean Cooper
Ross Grooters
Patrick Hoye
Polk City
Seats open: Mayor, two at-large council seats
Mayor: (Vote for no more than 1)
Jason Morse*
At large: (Vote for no more than 2)
Urbandale
Seats open: Mayor, two at-large council seats
Mayor: (Vote for no more than 1)
Robert Andeweg*
At large: (Vote for no more than 2)
Waukee
Seats open: Three at-large council seats
At large: (Vote for no more than 3)
West Des Moines
Seats open: Mayor, one at-large council seat, Wards 1 and Ward 3 council seats
Mayor: (Vote for no more than 1)
Steven Gaer*
At large: (Vote for no more than 1)
Ward 1: (Vote for no more than 1)
Ward 3: (Vote for no more than 1)
Park commissioner: (Vote for no more than 2)
Heather Schebel
Rick Swalwell
Windsor Heights
Seats open: Mayor, three at-large council seats
Mayor: (Vote for no more than 1)
Brent Bialas
At large: (Vote for no more than 3)
Brenda Beye
Clive
Seats open: Mayor, two at-large seats
Mayor: (Vote for no more than 1)
Scott Cirksena*
At large: (Vote for no more than 2)
Eric Klein*
Mike McCoy*
*Incumbent
Sources: Polk County Auditor's Office, Dallas County Auditor's Office