Contents

Elections in Iowa

Republican

1980

1996

2000

2008

2012

2016

2020

2024

• Specials

The number of elections in Iowa varies from year to year. Presidential elections are held every four years.

Democratic

Third party

%

No. 

%

No. 

%

897,672

53.09%

759,061

44.89%

34,138

2.02%

800,983

51.15%

653,669

41.74%

111,379

7.11%

730,617

46.18%

822,544

51.99%

29,019

1.83%

682,379

44.39%

828,940

53.93%

25,804

1.68%

751,957

49.90%

741,898

49.23%

13,053

0.87%

634,373

48.22%

638,517

48.54%

42,673

3.24%

492,644

39.92%

620,258

50.26%

121,173

9.82%

504,891

37.27%

586,353

43.29%

263,363

19.44%

545,355

44.50%

670,557

54.71%

9,702

0.79%

703,088

53.27%

605,620

45.89%

11,097

0.84%

676,026

51.31%

508,672

38.60%

132,963

10.09%

632,863

49.47%

619,931

48.46%

26,512

2.07%

706,207

57.61%

496,206

40.48%

23,531

1.92%

619,106

53.01%

476,699

40.82%

72,126

6.18%

449,148

37.92%

733,030

61.88%

2,361

0.20%

722,381

56.71%

550,565

43.22%

864

0.07%

729,187

59.06%

501,858

40.65%

3,519

0.29%

808,906

63.75%

451,513

35.59%

8,354

0.66%

494,018

47.58%

522,380

50.31%

21,874

2.11%

547,267

51.99%

499,876

47.49%

5,456

0.52%

632,370

52.03%

578,800

47.62%

4,260

0.35%

487,977

42.70%

621,756

54.41%

33,000

2.89%

414,433

39.98%

598,019

57.69%

24,235

2.34%

623,570

61.77%

379,311

37.57%

6,608

0.65%

537,458

55.02%

160,382

16.42%

278,930

28.56%

634,674

70.91%

227,921

25.46%

32,487

3.63%

280,439

54.25%

221,699

42.89%

14,806

2.86%

119,805

24.33%

185,325

37.64%

187,226

38.03%

275,209

55.62%

200,771

40.58%

18,789

3.80%

308,158

63.39%

149,276

30.71%

28,659

5.90%

307,808

58.04%

209,265

39.46%

13,282

2.50%

289,293

54.42%

233,741

43.97%

8,513

1.60%

219,795

49.60%

196,367

44.31%

26,997

6.09%

211,603

52.36%

179,877

44.51%

12,655

3.13%

197,089

52.25%

177,316

47.01%

2,796

0.74%

183,904

56.99%

105,845

32.80%

32,919

10.20%

171,326

58.50%

112,121

38.28%

9,431

3.22%

131,566

60.81%

71,189

32.90%

13,610

6.29%

120,399

61.92%

74,040

38.08%

0

0.00%

88,500

64.12%

49,525

35.88%

0

0.00%

70,302

54.61%

55,639

43.22%

2,798

2.17%

45,073

48.83%

37,568

40.70%

9,669

10.47%

15,856

44.84%

17,763

50.23%

1,745

4.93%

9,930

44.59%

11,238

50.46%

1,103

4.95%

Since 1972, Iowa has been the first state to vote in presidential primaries, with their caucuses. As with presidential elections, gubernatorial elections are held every four years - but are staggered such that they are held on general elections independently of the presidential election. Members of the Iowa Senate are elected every four years, with half of the Senate elected at each general election; all members of the Iowa House of Representatives are elected every two years. Additionally, elections for various government officials, judicial retention elections, and elections on referendums occur as part of various elections in Iowa.

In a 2020 study, Iowa was ranked as the 24th easiest state for citizens to vote in.^[2]

Electoral system[edit]

Party system[edit]

The Iowa Caucus is an electoral event in which residents meet in precinct caucuses in all of Iowa's 1,681 precincts and elect delegates to the corresponding county conventions.

General elections[edit]

In Iowa, a general election is held on Election Day during even-numbered years. In addition to the elections for the chief executive and legislature of the United States and of Iowa, general elections in Iowa include statewide elections for the Secretary of State, Auditor of State, Treasurer of State, Secretary of Agriculture, and Attorney General. Also included are judicial retention elections and proposed amendments to the Iowa Constitution, along with various local elections.

Local elections[edit]

In Iowa, various local officials are elected at the general election. However, school and city elections are not held during a general election, but at a different regularly scheduled time. Regular school elections are held on the second Tuesday in September during odd-numbered years.^[3] Regular city elections are held on Election Day during odd-numbered years.^[4]

Special elections[edit]

In Iowa, special elections may be held throughout the year to fill various governmental vacancies or to vote on ballot initiatives. Special elections are generally held on Tuesdays and may not generally be held on the same day as a general or local election.^[5]

See also[edit]

• United States presidential elections in Iowa
• 2020 Iowa elections

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Voting and Elections Information at the Iowa Secretary of State official website
• IowaatBallotpedia
• Government Documents Round Table of the American Library Association, "Iowa", Voting & Elections Toolkits
• Iowa election laws - a compilation of Iowa laws related to elections.
  • Iowa election laws changed pages - an update with those pages changed since the last publication of the Iowa election laws, current as of October 2008.
• "Iowa: Election Tools, Deadlines, Dates, Rules, and Links", Vote.org, Oakland, CA
• "League of Women Voters of Iowa". (State affiliate of the U.S. League of Women Voters)
• National Institute on Money in Politics; Campaign Finance Institute, "Georgia 2019 & 2020 Elections", OpenSecrets. (Also: 1997 & 1998, 1999 & 2000, 2001 & 2002, 2003 & 2004, 2005 & 2006, 2007 & 2008, 2009 & 2010, 2011 & 2012, 2013 & 2014, 2015 & 2016, 2017 & 2018).
• Digital Public Library of America. Assorted materials related to Iowa elections
• "State Elections Legislation Database", Ncsl.org, Washington, D.C.: National Conference of State Legislatures, State legislation related to the administration of elections introduced in 2011 through this year, 2020