Ride requests will open before Election Day.
This page is the permanent home for the Polls & Back public ride-request process. The online form is not active yet. Publishing the page now gives riders, community groups, and search engines a stable place to find the service while final coverage, hours, and dispatch procedures are completed.
When requests open, the form, public phone option, and any text-based option will be posted here. We will not ask how you plan to vote.
Who the service is for
Polls & Back is being built for voters in the published Des Moines metro service area who need transportation to their correct polling place and back home on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Service will be free to riders and offered without regard to party, candidate preference, or ballot position.
Final coverage will depend on volunteer capacity. Exact service boundaries, operating hours, booking deadlines, and same-day availability will be published before the request form opens.
What a request will include
The request process will collect only the information needed to coordinate a safe ride. The final fields are still being reviewed, but the operational minimum is expected to include:
- Pickup location and polling-place destination
- A contact method for scheduling and ride updates
- Preferred pickup timing
- Return-ride needs
- Mobility, accessibility, or vehicle-accommodation information needed to make the assignment
Polls & Back does not need your political affiliation, candidate preference, ballot choices, or reason for voting. Those questions will not be part of the service.
Before requesting a ride
Riders should confirm their voter registration and polling place through the Iowa Secretary of State or their county auditor. Polls & Back coordinates transportation; it does not determine voter eligibility, assign precincts, issue voter identification, or operate a polling place.
Check official Iowa voter information, including registration, polling-place, voter-ID, and Election Day guidance.
What happens after a request
A dispatcher will review the request, confirm that it falls within the active service area and operating capacity, and match it with an approved volunteer driver. Riders will receive confirmation and practical updates through the contact method they provide. A return ride will be coordinated as part of the same service whenever capacity permits.
Submitting a request will not guarantee a ride until Polls & Back confirms the assignment. That distinction will be stated clearly in the live form.