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Iowa candidate resources

Pick your county to see what running for office takes.

A plain-language guide to getting on the ballot in every one of Iowa's 99 counties. Iowa charges no filing fee for any office -- the only way on is a nomination petition filed with your county auditor, who is also the county's Commissioner of Elections. Each guide covers the 2026 filing windows, the signature counts, which county offices are actually up this year, and your county auditor's contact card. Click the map or use the list.

Adair County — how to run for office Adams County — how to run for office Allamakee County — how to run for office Appanoose County — how to run for office Audubon County — how to run for office Benton County — how to run for office Black Hawk County — how to run for office Boone County — how to run for office Bremer County — how to run for office Buchanan County — how to run for office Buena Vista County — how to run for office Butler County — how to run for office Calhoun County — how to run for office Carroll County — how to run for office Cass County — how to run for office Cedar County — how to run for office Cerro Gordo County — how to run for office Cherokee County — how to run for office Chickasaw County — how to run for office Clarke County — how to run for office Clay County — how to run for office Clayton County — how to run for office Clinton County — how to run for office Crawford County — how to run for office Dallas County — how to run for office Davis County — how to run for office Decatur County — how to run for office Delaware County — how to run for office Des Moines County — how to run for office Dickinson County — how to run for office Dubuque County — how to run for office Emmet County — how to run for office Fayette County — how to run for office Floyd County — how to run for office Franklin County — how to run for office Fremont County — how to run for office Greene County — how to run for office Grundy County — how to run for office Guthrie County — how to run for office Hamilton County — how to run for office Hancock County — how to run for office Hardin County — how to run for office Harrison County — how to run for office Henry County — how to run for office Howard County — how to run for office Humboldt County — how to run for office Ida County — how to run for office Iowa County — how to run for office Jackson County — how to run for office Jasper County — how to run for office Jefferson County — how to run for office Johnson County — how to run for office Jones County — how to run for office Keokuk County — how to run for office Kossuth County — how to run for office Lee County — how to run for office Linn County — how to run for office Louisa County — how to run for office Lucas County — how to run for office Lyon County — how to run for office Madison County — how to run for office Mahaska County — how to run for office Marion County — how to run for office Marshall County — how to run for office Mills County — how to run for office Mitchell County — how to run for office Monona County — how to run for office Monroe County — how to run for office Montgomery County — how to run for office Muscatine County — how to run for office O'Brien County — how to run for office Osceola County — how to run for office Page County — how to run for office Palo Alto County — how to run for office Plymouth County — how to run for office Pocahontas County — how to run for office Polk County — how to run for office Pottawattamie County — how to run for office Poweshiek County — how to run for office Ringgold County — how to run for office Sac County — how to run for office Scott County — how to run for office Shelby County — how to run for office Sioux County — how to run for office Story County — how to run for office Tama County — how to run for office Taylor County — how to run for office Union County — how to run for office Van Buren County — how to run for office Wapello County — how to run for office Warren County — how to run for office Washington County — how to run for office Wayne County — how to run for office Webster County — how to run for office Winnebago County — how to run for office Winneshiek County — how to run for office Woodbury County — how to run for office Worth County — how to run for office Wright County — how to run for office

All 99 Iowa counties. Click any county for its guide.

All 99 Iowa counties

Alphabetical. Each links to that county’s “how to run for office” guide.

Statewide rules, filing basics and official links: how to run for office in Iowa.

Adair County Adams County Allamakee County Appanoose County Audubon County Benton County Black Hawk County Boone County Bremer County Buchanan County Buena Vista County Butler County Calhoun County Carroll County Cass County Cedar County Cerro Gordo County Cherokee County Chickasaw County Clarke County Clay County Clayton County Clinton County Crawford County Dallas County Davis County Decatur County Delaware County Des Moines County Dickinson County Dubuque County Emmet County Fayette County Floyd County Franklin County Fremont County Greene County Grundy County Guthrie County Hamilton County Hancock County Hardin County Harrison County Henry County Howard County Humboldt County Ida County Iowa County Jackson County Jasper County Jefferson County Johnson County Jones County Keokuk County Kossuth County Lee County Linn County Louisa County Lucas County Lyon County Madison County Mahaska County Marion County Marshall County Mills County Mitchell County Monona County Monroe County Montgomery County Muscatine County O'Brien County Osceola County Page County Palo Alto County Plymouth County Pocahontas County Polk County Pottawattamie County Poweshiek County Ringgold County Sac County Scott County Shelby County Sioux County Story County Tama County Taylor County Union County Van Buren County Wapello County Warren County Washington County Wayne County Webster County Winnebago County Winneshiek County Woodbury County Worth County Wright County

The 2027 ballot in Iowa.

These 2027 dates are confirmed against the state's own published calendar or statute. Anything our research could not confirm is left off this page rather than estimated.

  • November 2, 2027 Municipal General — City and school. Regular city and school election: mayors and city council members in every Iowa city, school district directors and community college directors. Cities that hold an October primary use an earlier filing window (Aug 9 to Aug 26).
    Candidate filing: opens Aug 23, 2027, closes Sep 16, 2027 (5:00 p.m.).
    Source

2027 dates can move, and a municipality can change its own election date by ordinance. Which seats are on a given ballot depends on when each was last filled. Confirm anything you are relying on with the county election office before you act on it.

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