Welcome to Ballot Without Borders for O’Brien County, Iowa. Local election information, voting resources, and community updates for O’Brien County will be added here after they are checked against official local and Iowa election sources.
2026 General Election in O’Brien County
Candidates who received the most votes in O’Brien County (unofficial, AP county results, checked Nov. 4, 2026):
- U.S. Senate: Hinson (R)
- Governor: Lahn (R)
These are statewide races, so this shows who led in O’Brien County, not a local winner. Statewide, Josh Turek (D) won the U.S. Senate race and Rob Sand (D) won the governor’s race, according to AP race calls. Results are unofficial until certified.
Voting in Iowa: Rules for O’Brien County Voters
Voting rules are set by each state. This is a summary of Iowa rules for O’Brien County voters, checked Nov. 4, 2026, from Vote.gov (U.S. government), the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and Ballotpedia. Rules and dates can change, so confirm with Iowa’s official election website or your local election office before each election.
Registering to vote
- Online: by 15 days before Election Day.
- By mail: must be postmarked 15 days before Election Day.
- In person: available through Election Day (same-day registration).
- Register or check your registration (Iowa on Vote.gov)
Primary elections
Iowa primaries are classified as closed, but voters declare or choose a party at the polls on primary day. You vote in only one party’s primary.
Voter ID
Iowa requires an ID to vote in person, and some non-photo IDs are accepted. If you don’t have acceptable ID, you can vote a provisional ballot, but you must take extra steps after Election Day for it to count.
Early voting
Starts: Twenty days before election (in-person absentee). Ends: 5 p.m., day before election. Locations and hours are set locally.
Voting by mail
Any Iowa voter can request an absentee/mail ballot. No excuse is needed.
O’Brien County election office
O’Brien County Auditor
PO Box 380
Primghar, IA 51245
Phone: (712) 957-3225
Fax: (712) 957-0425
Email: rschmalen@obriencounty.iowa.gov
You can also look up your local election office on Iowa’s official election website.
Contact information from the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s local election office directory (FVAP.gov, U.S. Department of Defense), checked Nov. 4, 2026. Some listed emails are for military and overseas voters; call the office if you’re not sure who to contact.
Sources: Vote.gov (registration deadlines); NCSL voter ID (updated Sept. 3, 2026), early voting (updated Aug. 11, 2026) and absentee voting (updated July 17, 2026); Ballotpedia primary types (as of Aug. 2026).