The following information has been provided by County Auditor Karen Showalter and the Black Hawk County Election office. This information is for the December 2 Run Off Election.
- ABSENTEE BALLOTS are now available for the city runoff election which will be held on Tuesday, December 2, 2025 for the voters of the city of Waterloo and Cedar Falls Ward 3. All polling place locations will open at 7:00 am and close at 8:00 pm. The courthouse will be open for early voting today through Monday, December 1.
In-person absentee voting will be held at the auditor’s office located on the 2nd floor. The courthouse is located at 316 E. 5th St, Waterloo and regular courthouse hours are 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday.
The courthouse will be closed Thursday, November 27 and Friday, November 28 for the Thanksgiving holiday.
The deadline to request to have a ballot mailed to you is 5PM, Monday, November 17. To receive an absentee ballot by mail, voters must submit an Official Absentee Ballot Request Form which can be found on our website at https://blackhawkcountyelections.iowa.gov/ A hand-written request may be accepted if it includes the following required information: full name, complete address, date of birth, ID number, date or name of election, voter’s signature and date the form was signed. You may mail your request form to 316 E. 5th St. Room 213, Waterloo, IA 50703.
Pre-paid return postage is provided for all ballots returned by mail to the Election Office. A mailed ballot must be returned to the Election Office by 8:00 pm on election day, December 2, to be counted. Ballots received after election day may not be counted.
Absentee ballots MAYNOT be turned in at a polling place except to be surrendered and voided, in which case the voter would vote in person at their precinct. Persons who did not receive or have lost their absentee ballot will be provided the option of voting a provisional ballot.
- VOTER PRE-REGISTRATION DEADLINES The last day to pre-register at the Election Office for this election is Monday, November 17 before 5:00 pm. Any new voter who registers before the deadline will NOT be required to show proof of identity while registering. Following the deadline and on Election Day, new voters will be processed using the requirements of Election Day Registration and will be required to provide BOTH proof of residence and identity. Regular Election Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.
- ELECTION DAY REGISTRATION A person not registered in the precinct in which the person resides who is eligible to register for voting and to vote, may do so on Election Day by appearing in person at the polling place for the precinct in which the individual resides. The voter must complete a voter registration application, make written oath and provide acceptable proof of both identity and residence. The most common example of an acceptable form of identity and residence is an Iowa driver’s license that is not expired and represents the voter’s address in the precinct on Election Day.
For more information about voting in Black Hawk County, including eligibility criteria and important deadlines, residents are encouraged to visit the official website of the Black Hawk County Auditor's Office at https://blackhawkcountyelections.iowa.gov/or contact the office directly at 833-3007 or email election@blackhawkcounty.iowa.gov.