Elections 2026 General Election

2026 General Election

November 3, 2026

General Election

Candidate Nomination Information and Paperwork 

Township Offices and Partisan County offices 

*Please note that the filing period for township offices and partisan county offices not on the Primary election ballot begins on Monday March 2, 2026 and ends at 5PM on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. 

County Ag Extension, Hospital Trustee & Soil & Water

*Please note that papers for County Ag Extension, Hospital Trustee and Soil & Water must be filed by 5PM on Wednesday August 26, 2026.

Candidate Nomination Information 

Affidavit of Candidacy 

Nomination Petition- For County partisan offices

Nomination Petition- For non-partisan offices (i.e. Ag Extension, Hospital Trustee, Soil & Water)

Candidate Guide

Dates and Deadlines

• October 14th
  • 1st day to vote in-person at the Courthouse 8 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.  Monday  - Friday - see extended hours below. 
  • 1st day to mail absentee ballots to those who had a request on file.
• October 19th - open til 5:00 p.m.
  • Voter Pre-Registration Deadline
  • Last day to mail absentee ballots - must have a request on file in order to mail a ballot.
• October 21st
  • Public test of voting equipment at 1:00 p.m.
• October 31st
  • Auditor's office open 9am-5pm for absentee voting
• November 2nd
  • Last day to request and vote an absentee ballot in person
• November 3rd - General Election day
  • All Polling locations open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  • Must vote in the precinct in which you live. 
  • Click here to "Find your Polling Place" in Ringgold County 

Absentee Ballots

Absentee Ballots will be available beginning Wednesday, October 14, 2026, for mail and in-person voting. 

• August 25, 2026 is the first day an absentee ballot request form  may be submitted for the General Election.  Click here for a General Election Absentee Ballot request form.
• The last day an absentee ballot may be mailed to a voter for this election is Monday, October 19, 2026. (Postal delivery is now two to five days each way.)
• In-person absentee voting in the office of the Ringgold County Auditor closes at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, November 2, 2026.
• Requests for absentee ballots must be in writing and should be mailed or delivered to:
  Ringgold County Auditor, 109 W. Madison St., Mount Ayr, IA 50854
• More information on Absentee Voting and how to Request an Absentee Ballot Request Form.

Voted absentee ballots returned by mail MUST be returned no later than 8:00 p.m. on ELECTION DAY, Tuesday, November 3, 2026 to be considered on time to be counted.  Voters are advised to keep in mind that postal delivery is now two to five days.

Extended Hours

Extended and Saturday hours are available for voter registration and absentee voting in the Ringgold County Auditor’s Office. In addition to regular hours of Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., extended office hours during the 2026 general election season will be as follows:

• Friday, August 21 - 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Wednesday, August 26 - 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Thursday, September 17 - 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Monday, October 19 - 8 a.m.  to 5 p.m.
• Saturday, October 31 - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Tuesday, November 3 - 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.* or later, depending on election activities

Candidate List (PDF)

Precincts and Polling Locations

Sample Ballots (PDF)