ELECTION GUIDE 2024
How to vote in the general election
Learn more on how to vote in-person, absentee, and by mail in Iowa.
Mia O’Connor-Walker Politics Reporter politics@dailyiowan.com
The 2024 general election will take place on Nov. 5. In order to vote in Johnson County in this election, a voter must be at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen, and an Iowa resident. Election day polls will be open in Iowa from 7:00 a.m. until 8:00 pm.
STAFF
Publisher | Jason Brummond
Executive Editor, The Daily Iowan | Jami Martin-Trainor
Editor, Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun | Nathan Countryman
Editor, Solon Economist | Chris Umscheid
THE DAILY IOWAN STAFF
Executive Editor | Jami Martin-Trainor
Managing Editor | Stella Shipman
Managing Editor, Print | Marandah Mangra-Dutcher
Managing Editor, News | Jack Moore
Managing Editor, Visuals | Cody Blissett
Visual Editors | Isabella Tisdale & Emma Calabro
Politics Editor | Roxy Ekberg
Elections Editor | Liam Halawith
Digital Editor | Riley Dunn
Audience Editor | Shreya Reddy
News Reporter & Spanish Translator | Isabelle Foland
Voter registration
The deadline for online voter registration has passed, however, you can register to vote at the polls or the auditor’s office if voting early in person. As long as you are a resident of Iowa, you may register to vote at the polls on election day before receiving your ballot. You must bring proof of identity and residency such as a driver’s license or other official photo ID.
Certain college students may be able to register by showing a current student identification card for an Iowa college or university and a copy of their residential agreement. Once the in-person same-day registration form is complete and has been checked for completion by an elections clerk, the voter will be issued an in-person ballot.
College students may choose to register to vote at their home or their school address. If attending college in Johnson County, such as the University of Iowa, you may register with your Johnson County address. If your address is a dorm, include the dorm number and room number, but the street address of the dorm is not needed. In the “Where You Receive Mail” portion of the form, do not include your home address if you’re planning on voting in Johnson County with your school address.
office by 8 p.m. on election day, surrender your absentee ballot at your polling precinct on election day, or vote a provisional ballot at your polling precinct if your ballot cannot be surrendered. You cannot return your ballot to your polling precinct. You can also track your absentee ballot request on the Iowa Secretary of State’s website.
In-person voting
Early voting will begin 20 days before the Nov. 5 election or Wednesday, Oct. 16.
Voters may also vote early in person at their county auditor’s office. Early voting will be available at the Johnson County Auditor’s Office lobby, 913 S. Dubuque St. There will also be a Drive-thru voting option at the Health and Human Services Building parking ramp, 855 S. Dubuque St.
In-person early voting for both the lobby of the auditor’s office and the Health and Human Services Building parking ramp will be open on weekdays from Wednesday, Oct. 16 through Monday, Nov. 4, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Auditor’s office will also have evening hours available from Monday, Oct. 28, through Wednesday, Oct. 30, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Weekend hours for in-person early voting in the lobby of the auditor’s office and the Health and Human Services Building parking ramp are as follows:
● Saturday, Oct. 26, from noon to 5 p.m.
● Sunday, Oct. 27, from noon to 5 p.m.
● Saturday, Nov. 2, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
● Sunday, Nov. 3, from noon to 5 p.m.
Business Manager | Debra Plath
Classifieds/Circulation Manager | Juli Krause
Production Manager | Heidi Owen BUSINESS STAFF
The Daily Iowan Ethics & Politics Initiative is the donor-funded political reporting enterprise of The Daily Iowan. The team’s mission is to understand, interpret, analyze, and report on topics, trends and personalities that shape politics in Iowa and the U.S., and to recognize the importance of a strong ethical foundation in its pursuits.
If you’re a student who wishes to vote from their permanent/home address, you either need to travel to vote in that county, or you will need to vote by absentee ballot.
How to return your absentee ballot
If you have not requested your absentee ballot in Iowa already, the deadline has passed and you will have to vote early in-person or at your polling precinct on election day. However, if you have already requested your absentee ballot, once it arrives follow the instructions that arrived with your ballot to complete it and send it to your auditor’s office. However, to ensure your absentee ballot is counted it must be received by your county’s auditor on election day by 8 p.m. You can return your ballot via mail to the auditor’s office in the envelope provided to you with your ballot.
If you are worried it may not make it by election day you can return your ballot in person to the auditor’s
On election day, there is no in-person absentee voting. Voters will have to vote at their polling place. Polling places are determined by address, and Johnson County residents may go to the Johnson County Auditor’s office website to find their November 5th polling location, by typing their residential address into the search bar. Voters will need to provide identification at the polls.
To vote in person you must provide one of the following forms of ID at the polling place on election day:
● Iowa Driver’s License (not expired more than 90 days)
● Iowa Non-Operator ID (not expired more than 90 days)
● U.S. Passport (not expired)
● U.S. Military ID or Veteran ID (not expired)
● Iowa Voter Identification Card (must be signed)
● Tribal ID Card/Document (must be signed, with photo, not expired)
There will also be Satellite voting locations for voters who do not wish to vote at their designated polling places.
The 2024 Election Guide is a collaboration between The Daily Iowan Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun, and Solon Economist. The guide includes preview stories on the election and candidate profiles in national, state, and local races.
Top-of-ticket excitement trickles to Iowa
Changing dynamics signal a tight race from the top to the bottom of the ticket.
Liam Halawith Elections Editor liam.halawith@dailyiowan.com
Months ago, voters’ collective outlook on the 2024 election wasn’t optimistic. Not many were excited by the impending presidential race. With President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump hurling towards an unpopular rematch, not many voters were excited to rehash the wounds of just four years earlier.
Polling bore that collective doom out with a January 2024 Reuters/Ipsos poll finding that 67 percent of poll respondents were “tired of seeing the same candidate.”
Voters were dissatisfied with their choices, and Democrats were anxious that Trump would be able to capitalize on disappointment with Biden’s administration and eke out a win.
Those anxieties reared their head just four months later when Biden, 81, fumbled a June 27 debate against Trump. Biden was seen looking confused, freezing mid-sentence, and stumbling over his responses to questions.
The poor debate performance started a media frenzy questioning Biden’s fitness for office, people wondering whether he would be able to fend off Trump’s increasing support.
Democrats, including Iowa’s 1st Congressional District Democratic Candidate Christina Bohannan and 2nd Congressional District Candidate Sarah Corkery, called for Biden to drop out.
Biden announced he would not continue his bid for the White House almost a month after his debate with Trump ended his electoral chances. Within hours, he endorsed his running mate Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place as the Democratic nominee for president of the United States.
The Democratic party quickly coalesced around Harris, nominating her in August at an energy-filled Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois.
Now, with Harris at the helm, Democrats are more excited about the upcoming election. Nationally, nearly eight in ten Democrats say they are more excited than ever to vote in November, according to an August Gallup poll. More
voters at-large are excited about voting on Nov. 5 with 69 percent of Gallup poll respondents saying as much. The poll shows that excitement is at the highest it has been since 2000.
This has translated to a transformed race with Harris leading national polling by small margins just weeks before the election, where Biden was behind Trump in the polls. The excitement opens new pathways to victory for Harris in the Electoral College, increasing her chances of winning in November.
Harris’ rise has also changed the race for down-ballot races, like those in Iowa. Cutting into Trump’s lead in the state Harris is only four points behind Trump in Iowa according to a September Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll. Democrats are also more excited in Iowa, with excitement among the party doubling from the June to the September edition of the Iowa poll. Now, more than 80 percent of Iowa Democrats are excited about the upcoming election.
Experts say that Harris’ rising tide could lift Iowa Democrats to electoral success by bolstering excitement at the
top of the ticket and bring down-ballot races from Congressional seats to state house races into play. With an exceptionally close race in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, this changing dynamic could decide the balance of power in the halls of Congress.
However, nationally, the presidential race is still in a dead heat with Harris only leading by three points, according to an October New York Times/Sienna College poll. Harris and Trump are also deadlocked in key swing states that will decide the election, according to October polling from Emerson College.
While the race is currently neckand-neck, Harris has expanded the map where Biden was unable to. Before Biden’s departure from the race, only Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania were considered “tossups,” but with Harris at the helm, she turned Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, and North Carolina into swing states that could go either way — opening more pathways to victory for Harris than Trump.
Jordan Barry | The Daily Iowan Donald Trump speaks at a rally ahead of the Iowa caucuses at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Oct. 7, 2023.
Richard Burkhart | USA Today Network Tuesday, July 30, 2024; Atlanta, Ga; Vice President Kamala Harris waves to supporters during a presidential campaign rally on July 30 at the Georgia State Convocation Center in Atlanta, Ga.
Harris brings Sun Belt states into play
Harris’s entry into the race expanded the map in states that pollsters previously thought would go to Trump, while Trump has been unable to convert states thought to be blue states into toss-ups.
“Essentially, it makes it harder for Trump to win and easier for her to win, because Trump is not changing what were blue states into tossups for him,” Sara Mitchell, a political science professor at the University of Iowa, said.
The collection of four swing states — Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, and North Carolina — are colloquially known as the “Sun Belt” and open another path to a victory in the Electoral College for Harris.
The states were previously unmovable for Biden, whose lackluster polling and enthusiasm worried Democrats. But under Harris, she has closed in on Trump’s lead in the states, in some surpassing his lead.
October polling by Emerson College found that Harris leads in Nevada and is tied with Trump in Wisconsin and
Michigan, with Trump ahead in Pennsylvania, a state considered key in winning the Electoral College.
Candidates need 270 Electoral College votes to win the election. Each state is awarded Electoral College votes based on the number of members of Congress the state has. Forty-eight of
Two
Iowa
Congressional Districts considered tossups
With Harris closing in on Trump’s lead in Iowa and rising Democratic excitement, Iowa’s 1st and 3rd Congressional Districts are now considered toss-ups by election forecasters, signaling a tight race that could
“Essentially, it makes it harder for Trump to win and easier for her to win, because Trump is not changing what were blue states into toss-ups for him.”
Sara Mitchell University of Iowa political science professor
the 50 states award Electoral College votes based on who wins the state, with Nebraska and Maine awarding votes based on Congressional districts.
While Harris’ expanded map means more ways to win the Electoral College, Iowa isn’t part of what experts consider a “swing state” despite Harris being only four points behind Trump in the state. Though Iowa Democrats hope that Harris’ tide of enthusiasm could turn into down-ballot success for the state.
affect the balance of power in Congress.
Iowa’s 1st District is especially close with an October Des Moines Register/ Mediacom Iowa Poll finding that a generic Democratic Congressional candidate is preferred by three percentage points to a generic Republican Congressional candidate in the district.
The three-point lead is well within the poll’s margin of error but is the first time a Democrat has taken the lead in a Congressional poll in Iowa this election cycle.
Donna Hoffman, a University of North-
ern Iowa political science professor, said that the changing dynamics in Iowa’s 1st and 3rd Districts are unsurprising. The districts have a history of being competitive with three of Iowa’s four Congressional seats being held by Democrats as recently as 2018.
The race in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District has been competitive during most of recent political memory. Incumbent U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, won her seat in 2020 by only six votes when she ran for a seat vacated by long-time Democratic incumbent Dave Loebsack. In 2022, she won by only seven percentage points over Iowa City Democrat Christina Bohannan, who is running against Miller-Meeks for the second time this election cycle.
“In those kinds of situations, turnout makes and enthusiasm connected to that makes a huge difference,” Hoffman said. “That can make Democratic turnout surge, and down-ballot races can oftentimes benefit from that enthusiasm at the top of the ticket, just like they can be harmed by lacklusterness at the top of the ticket.”
Democrats have looked to capitalize on the changing dynamics in their favor. Iowa’s 1st District started the election cycle as “likely Republican” and has since
Ava Neumaier | The Daily Iowan
Christina Bohannan speaks to a student rally in the Iowa Memorial Union’s Big Ten Theater on Oct 11. Bohannan is running for Congress, and held a Q&A where she discussed reproductive rights, funding for education, and sustainable solutions for Iowa farmers.
Emma Calabro | The Daily Iowan
Mariannette Miller-Meeks speaks at a Wilton Back The Blue Rally at Axe & Oak Whiskey House on Oct 9. Alongside Miller-Meeks, Joni Ernst and Brenna Bird spoke on the upcoming election.
changed to “toss-up” status, showing favor moving towards Democrats in the district.
Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart said that the state party has been working to capture the recent uptick in Democratic excitement in the state, which doubled when Harris entered the race, by knocking on hundreds of thousands of doors across the state to turnout results for Democrats in key races.
“We’re excited to see what the enthusiasm around the Harris-Walz ticket brings to Iowa,” Hart said in a statement to The Daily Iowan. “We’ve always known that if we can get Democrats to the polls that we have an opportunity for our down-ballot races to get across the finish line. With this enthusiasm, we can make that happen.”
Bohannan said the change in polling reflects the changing dynamics that her team has seen on the ground.
“The truth is that polling really is
only useful if it reflects what we’re seeing and feeling on the ground, and we are. For many months now, we have felt that something is happening in Iowa,” Bohannan said in an interview with the DI . “People are ready for change and we have been seeing that appetite for change here for the last year since I got into this race.”
tossup race, obviously people are getting even more excited and more committed to doing this work and to really getting out the vote here,” Bohannan said. “So we have seen a lot of energy and enthusiasm around this race, especially in these last few weeks, as the race has started to move in our favor and it’s really exciting to see your hard work pay off.”
“The truth is that polling really is only useful if it reflects what we’re seeing and feeling on the ground, and we are.”
Christina Bohannan
Running for Iowa’s 1st Congressional District
Bohannan said she has seen a large uptick in excitement in the district in just the past few weeks — ever since the race had signaled changing dynamics in polling.
“When they see that this is officially a
could see a boost from races at the top of the ticket.
“When the dynamics of the race seem to be changing, with more enthusiasm at the national level, you can see that may have a down-ballot effect,” Hoffman said.
Increased enthusiasm could turn into down-ballot success
While increased enthusiasm and Democratic results at the top of the ticket is likely to affect key Congressional races in Iowa, it could also mean results for state house races this election cycle.
Democrats in Iowa’s legislature currently hold a minority with only 36 seats in the 100-person Iowa House of Representatives, and only 16 seats in the 50-person Iowa Senate.
However, state house Democrats could see a boost from excitement for the top-of-the-ticket races.
Hoffman said that with today’s hyper-politicized world, not many voters are voting “split tickets,” or voting for a different party for races at the top of the ticket, like the president, and down-ballot races, like statehouse races. However, with Iowa’s large number of independent voters, it is more common in Iowa than in other states. Pairing a number of swing voters that will vote for Trump and a Democrat for state house, and increased turnout for Democrats, could spell electoral success.
“Having that enthusiasm, which can translate into having more boots on the ground talking to real people, can have a cascading effect to those state-level races that will benefit partisans of the same ticket,” Hoffman said.
Hart said that they expect a number of tight state house races this election cycle and have a higher number of Democrats running for state house seats than previous cycles.
This increase in excitement could mean electoral results for Iowa Democrats, Hoffmann said, but mostly signal that this election will be tighter than originally predicted from the presidential race down to state house seats that
“We are excited that these are quality candidates who have stepped up to run because they are dissatisfied with the extreme laws that have come from the Republican-controlled legislature,” Hart said in a statement to the DI. “Democrats will put people over politics and bring some common sense back to the statehouse that has been lacking with the Republican supermajority that’s currently in power. It’s time to bring common sense back into the halls of government.”
Ayrton Breckenridge | The Daily Iowan
Lawmakers sit in the house chamber during the first day of the 2024 Iowa legislative session at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines on Monday, Jan. 8.
University
POLLING PLACES IN JOHNSON COUNTY
St. Mary Catholic Church, 1749 Racine Ave. NE, Solon
Johnson County Conservation Sutliff Shop, 5438 Sutliff Rd. NE
Coralville Transit Intermodal Facility, 906 Quarry Rd.
Brown Deer Golf Club, 1900 County Club Dr.
Kirkwood Regional Center, 2301 Oakdale Blvd.
Coralville Public Library, 1401 5th St
Northwest Junior High School, 1507 8th St., Coralville
Wickham Elementary School, 601 Oakdale Blvd.
North Ridge Pavilion, 2250 Holiday Rd.
LIFEchurch, 2205 2nd St.
Lemme Elementary School, 3100 E. Washington St.
Horn Elementary School, 600 Koser Ave.
Petersen Hall, University of Iowa, 304 Grand Ave.
UI Visual Arts Building, 107 River St.
Catlett Hall, 350 N. Madison St.
Mercer Park Recreation Center, 2701 Bradford Dr.
West High School, 2901 Melrose Ave.
Irving Weber Elementary School , 3850 Rohret Rd. SW
UI Athletics Hall of Fame, 2425 Prairie Meadow Dr.
Terry Trueblood Recreation Area, 579 McCollister Blvd.
Campus Recreation and Wellness Center (South Entrance), 309 S. Madison St.
Wood Elementary School, 1930 Lakeside Dr.
First Mennonite Church: 405 Myrtle Ave.
Tate High School, 1528 Mall Dr. (new location)
Iowa City Environmental Education Center, 2401 Scott Blvd.
Hoover Elementary School, 1355 Barrington Rd.
Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, 2301 E. Court St.
Longfellow Elementary School, 1130 Seymour Ave.
Robert A. Lee Recreation Center, 220 S. Gilbert St.
Iowa City Senior Center, 28 S. Linn St.
Mann Elementary School, 521 N. Dodge St.
Parkview Church, 15 Foster Rd.
Iowa City Community School District Main Office, 1725 N. Dodge St.
St. Patrick Church, 4330 St. Patrick Dr.
UI Psychological and Brain Sciences Building, 340 Iowa Ave.
West High School, 2901 Melrose Ave.
Purpose Place, 611 Southgate Ave.
Holy Trinity Church, 650 W. 240th St. NE
Penn Elementary School, 230 N. Dubuque St.
South Slope Communications, 980 N. Front St.
North Central Junior High, 180 E. Forevergreen Rd.
North Liberty Recreation Center, 520 W. Cherry St.
North Bend Elementary School, 2230 St. Andrews Dr.
GreenState Credit Union, 2355 Landon Rd. (new location)
Garner Elementary School, 80 Birch St.
KC Family Center, 4776 American Legion Rd.
Solon Public Library, 320 W. Main St.
University Heights Community Center, 1302 Melrose Ave.
JOHNSON COUNTY BALLOT MEASURES
PUBLIC MEASURE ONE
YES
A yes vote on Public Measure 1 would allow all 17-yearolds to vote in primary elections if they would be 18 on or before the date of the general election. This is currently state law but would codify the law in Iowa’s constitution.
A no vote would block the measure allowing 17-yearolds to vote in primary elections if they would be 18 on or before the date of the general election from becoming enshrined in the state constitution but would not reverse the current state law that allows this.
PUBLIC MEASURE TWO
A yes vote on Public Measure 2 would clarify the gubernatorial line of succession in Iowa’s constitution to say the lieutenant governor would assume the governorship if the current governor resignes, dies, or is removed from office. The new governor would be able to then appoint a new lieutenant governor.
A no vote on Public Measure 2 would reject the change to the state constitution and in the case of the governor leaving office, the lieutenant governor would not be able to legally appoint a new lieutenant governor until they are reelected.
PUBLIC MEASURE LY
A yes vote on Public Measure LY would allow Johnson County to borrow $30,000,000 in bonds for acquiring and developing public lands, protecting water quality, protecting air quality, protecting natural areas, protecting wildlife, and provideing for parks and trails, all of which will be managed by the Johnson County Conservation Board. The bond will increase property taxes by $7.09 per every $100,000
A no vote would reject the bond that the county has historically used to expand conservation efforts in Johnson County.
When will we know who’s president?
As voters prepare to cast their ballots, Iowans should keep a few key dates and times in mind.
Riley Dunn Digital Editor riley.dunn@dailyiowan.com
On Nov. 5, millions of people across the country will travel to polling stations in their state to cast the ballots for the next president. Some have even already taken this step by voting through mail-in or absentee ballots.
However, whether or not the next president-elect will be named on Nov. 5 is a different story.
Typically, a presidential candidate’s victory should become clear on election night, as polling facilities tally up the votes. However, due to recent election laws and a potentially tight margin of vic tory for the 2024 election, it could take longer than usual to declare a winner.
The state of Georgia, for example, has recently enacted several laws requiring votes to be hand-counted in order to cer tify that the number of votes matches the number recorded by polling machines.
Despite this, there is still hope that votes can be counted on time.
“Even if jurisdictions don’t use electronic voting machines, they’ll usually use some sort of paper ballot that gets scanned into the machine, so results can be counted fairly quickly,” Timothy Hagle, a University of Iowa political science professor, said.
Hagle said this with the caveat that sometimes things happen that make a quick determination of a winner impossible. Polling machines could break down, or
there could be a situation where the race is so close in one state that they must wait until all absentee ballots are counted, such as what happened in the 2000 election in Florida.
With this in mind, the idea of the election taking a few extra days or weeks to determine a winner is not far-fetched.
Some states also prohibit the counting of absentee ballots until the polls officially close on election day. In Iowa, all absentee ballots received before Nov. 5 will be officially counted on election day. All those received after must be postmarked on or before Nov. 5 to be counted.
Even after all ballots are cast and counted, the presidential decision has not yet been officially made.
Instead, the vote must be sent to the Electoral College, which consists of 538 electors from each of the 50 states, plus the District of Columbia. Each state has
a designated number of electors based on the total number of congressional members that the state has.
Iowa will receive 6 electoral votes — four votes for each member representing a congressional district and two votes for its senators.
Electors are appointed based on which political party wins the general election vote in each individual state.
It takes 270 electoral votes to secure victory in a presidential race. In the event that neither candidate gains the required number of votes, the next president would be determined by the U.S. House of Representatives.
This year, electors will meet on Dec. 17 within their individual states in order to certify their electoral votes.
“The idea of the Electoral College is that it smooths out things a little if you have one state with an overwhelming
vote for a particular candidate,” Hagle said. “It’s not totally even because, of course, you are looking at this based on the electoral votes, and the electoral votes are based on population.”
More populous states such as Texas, New York, and California get more electoral votes and thus have more power in determining who the next president is. However, much like in Congress, smaller states are also represented.
Swing states who have about even levels of support for the Republican and Democratic candidates, are perhaps the most important to deciding the election. This is why so many candidates spend their time campaigning in places such as Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan. In order to carry the election, they must convince voters on the other side of the aisle to support them.
“I know that a number of people have tried to suggest that the electoral college is outdated or needs to be replaced,” Hagle said. “But I think it has an important place. That smoothing out aspect of it does not allow big states or the federal government to dominate too much.”
On Jan. 6, 2025, Congress will meet in order to count the electoral votes and determine a true winner of the 2024 election. It is the job of the vice president to preside over this meeting and announce the results.
If everything goes according to plan, the new president of the United States will be sworn in two weeks later on Jan. 20, beginning a new administration.
Lua Rasga | The Daily Iowan Dominique Limoli votes at the UI Psychological and Brain Sciences Building on 340 Iowa Ave. during Election Day on Nov. 7, 2023. Iowa City residents voted for city and school board elections.
KAMALA
AGE: 59
LOCATION: Los Angeles, California
OCCUPATION: Vice President
EDUCATION: Howard University, University of California Law School San Francisco
U.S. PRESIDENTIAL
BIOGRAPHY
Vice President Kamala Harris rose to the top of the Democratic ticket in July after President Joe Biden ended his campaign. Biden stepped out of the presidential race after top party officials called for him to step down because of his poor debate performance against former President Donald Trump on June 27. Immediately after he announced he would be ending his campaign, Biden endorsed Harris to fill his spot. The party quickly coalesced around Harris and nominated her in August.
Harris has made the race more competitive by opening more pathways to victory in the Electoral College and gaining on Trump in polling across the country. In a Des Moines Register/Mediacom Poll Harris cut down on Trump’s lead in the state to only 4 percentage points, where Biden was 18 percentage points behind Trump. Poll respondents favored Trump with 47 percent saying they would vote for the former president and 43 percent saying they would vote for Harris. Harris is ahead according to an October New York Times/Sienna
College poll that shows her leading Trump by three points. However, Harris and Trump are in a dead heat in seven swing states that will decide the election.
Harris was the junior Senator from California from January 2017 to January 2021. Before that, Harris served for nearly a decade as the Attorney General of California, a title she often emphasizes in the campaign to draw a contrast between her and Trump, who is being prosecuted for over one hundred felony charges. Before her tenure as attorney general, Harris was the district attorney for San Francisco — another title she held for nearly a decade.
Harris has beat Trump in fundraising despite starting late. Harris has raised more than $670 million throughout her campaign, according to an Aug. 31 campaign finance report. Meanwhile, Trump has raised more than $313 million, according to an August campaign finance report. Harris has a cash-on-hand advantage with $235 million compared to Trump’s $145 million on hand.
ISSUES
Immigration: Harris supports securing the U.S.Mexico border, which has become a hot-button issue this election cycle. She also supports reforming the immigration system to make an easier path to citizenship. Harris would sign the bipartisan Senate immigration reform bill that she claims Trump killed for political gain.
Abortion: Harris has made abortion a hallmark issue for her campaign. She has committed to signing a bill to codify Roe v. Wade into federal law. Harris has said she supports protections for fertility treatments that have come under attack by abortion bans.
Education: Harris has vowed to make college more affordable and will continue to expand viable pathways to apprenticeships, trades, and alternative forms of higher education. Harris also pledged to continue fighting for student loan debt relief.
Gun control: Harris has said she will ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, require universal background checks, and support red flag laws that keep weapons from people deemed dangerous. She will continue to support proven gun violence prevention programs. Harris said she will also continue to invest in funding law enforcement including training and hiring officers.
Katina Zentz | The Daily Iowan
Then-Sen. Kamala Harris speaks during her town hall at CarverHawkeye Arena on Tuesday, October 22, 2019. Harris stuck to her stump speech about equality, specifically among marginalized communities and condemned former President Trump’s divisive rhetoric.
PRESIDENTIAL RACE
AGE: 78
LOCATION: Palm Beach, Florida
OCCUPATION: Former president, entrepreneur
EDUCATION:
Wharton School of Finance and Commerce at the University of Pennsylvania
DONALD TRUMP
BIOGRAPHY
Former President Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign has been chock-full of highs and lows, ranging from unprecedented caucus results to legal woes and assassination attempts. Trump followed a high point of his campaign after trouncing challengers with an over 30-point lead in the Iowa Caucuses in January. His polls soared after his debate performance against President Joe Biden on June 27, before souring after a Sept. 31 debate with Vice President Kamala Harris.
Since Harris took to the top of the Democratic ticket, Trump’s polling fell and the gap between the two parties closed. A September Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll shows Trump’s lead in the Hawkeye state cut to only 4 percentage points ahead of Harris. Respondents to the poll favored the former president with 47 percent saying they would vote for Trump and 43 percent saying they would cast a ballot for Harris.
An Oct. 8 national New York Times/Siena College poll shows Harris taking a slim lead in the race to the
Oval Office. The findings show that it was the first time Harris had led Trump in the Times/Siena poll since Biden dropped out of the race. The flip came as the candidates’ campaign entered its final month. However, Trump and Harris are in a dead heat in the seven swing states that will decide the election.
On May 30, a New York state jury convicted Trump on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with 2016 payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels. He was later indicted on dozens of other federal and state charges.
Multiple assassination attempts have been made on the former president as he campaigns for his second term in office. The first attempt occurred at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13 when a young man fired shots at Trump from a rooftop near the rally site. Another attempt was made on Trump’s life as he was golfing on Sept. 15 at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.
ISSUES
Immigration: Trump supports a historically restrictive agenda on immigration, including carrying out the largest deportation operation in American history. Trump plans to continue with his previous immigration policies, including finishing building a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump supports ending birthright citizenship for the children of undocumented parents.
Abortion: Trump’s messaging on abortion remains inconsistent, ranging from taking credit for the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022 to criticizing some of the most restrictive state laws on abortion, including his home state Florida. Trump supports abortion rights being decided by states and recently vowed to veto a federal abortion ban.
Education: Trump plans to cut federal funding for any school teaching critical race theory, “radical gender ideology,” or other “inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content.” Trump’s education platform focuses on parental rights, universal school choice, and a fight for “patriotic education” in schools. Trump opposed widespread student loan debt cancellation but backed measures to consolidate income-driven repayment plans. Trump plans to “deport pro-Hamas radicals” who protest on college campuses.
Gun control: Trump remains a staunch supporter of the right to bear arms. Trump plans to safeguard gun rights by appointing federal judges who oppose new firearm limits.
Cody Blissett | The Daily Iowan
Former President and 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during the annual Lincoln Dinner at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines on Friday, July 28, 2023. Thirteen different 2024 Republican presidential candidates had 10 minutes to speak.
CHRISTINA BOHANNAN
LOCATION: Iowa City
OCCUPATION:
University of Iowa law professor
EDUCATION:
University of Iowa
BIOGRAPHY
IOWA 1ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
Christina Bohannan is a University of Iowa law school professor and is originally from Florida but moved to Iowa more than to two decades ago to teach at the UI. Bohannan attended the University of Florida, where she obtained a degree in engineering and later went to law school. After law school, Bohannan served as a clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit.
The 1st Congressional District race has tightened in recent months with a generic Democrat being favored in the district by three percentage points, well within the poll’s margin of error, according to a September Des Moines Register/ Mediacom poll. The district is also rated as a toss-up by several election forecasters signaling the race is closing in.
ISSUES
Immigration: Bohannan said she supports securing the border and providing an earned pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
Abortion: Bohannan supports codifying federal protections for abortion rights into law if she were elected to Congress.
LOCATION: Cedar Falls
OCCUPATION: Small business owner
EDUCATION: Wartburg College
SARAH CORKERY
BIOGRAPHY
Sarah Corkery is a small business owner from Cedar Falls and has previously worked in non-profits in the Cedar Falls area. Corkery has made reproductive rights, an issue her opponent
Ashley Hinson has staunchly supported restricting, a hallmark of her campaign. However, she has failed to gain traction against incumbent Hinson in the 2nd Congressional District.
Corkery is not expected to win the race with election forecasters rating the 2nd Congressional District race “Solid Republican.” A September Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll found that a generic Republican is favored by eight percentage points in the 2nd Congressional District.
ISSUES
Immigration: Corkery supports securing the border by providing more resources to the border and reforming the over-burdened immigration system to provide more pathways to citizenship.
Abortion: Corkery supports restoring federal protections for abortion and leaving the decision to a woman and her doctors.
MARIANNETTE MILLER-MEEKS
BIOGRAPHY
Mariannette Miller-Meeks currently represents Iowa’s 1st Congressional District in Congress, claiming the open seat after incumbent Democrat Dave Loebsack retired. She won the seat by six votes in 2020 after several recounts. Miller-Meeks currently serves on the energy and commerce committee and the veterans affairs committee in the U.S. House.
The 1st district race has tightened in recent months with a generic Democrat being favored in the district by 3 percentage points, well within the poll’s margin of error, according to a September Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll. The district is also rated as a toss-up by several election forecasters signaling the race is closing in.
ISSUES
Immigration: Miller-Meeks said she supports securing the southern border and improving immigration policy and technology at the border.
Abortion: Miller-Meeks said she is pro-life and supports exceptions for rape, incest, or the life of the mother.
BIOGRAPHY
Ashley Hinson currently represents Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District after being elected in 2020 and beating incumbent Abby Finkenauer. Hinson was handily reelected in 2022 and won against Democrat Liz Mathis with over 55 percent of the vote. Hinson currently serves on the appropriations committee and the house select committee on the Chinese Communist Party.
ASHLEY HINSON
Hinson is expected to win the race with election forecasters rating her race as “Solid Republican.” A September Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll found that a generic Republican is favored by 8 percentage points in the 2nd Congressional District.
ISSUES
Immigration: Hinson said she supports restarting the border wall construction, increasing the number of border patrol agents, ending catch and release policies, and closing asylum loopholes.
Abortion: Hinson said she supports pro-life policies and exceptions to abortion bans.
IOWA 2ND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
AGE: 43
LOCATION: Des Moines
OCCUPATION:
Former U.S. Department of Agriculture official
EDUCATION: Drake University
LANON BACCAM
IOWA 3RD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
BIOGRAPHY
Lanon Baccam is a former U.S. Department of Agriculture official who worked with farmers and veterans for almost a decade. Baccam, originally from Mount Pleasant, now lives in Des Moines. Baccam also served in the Iowa National Guard for a decade and served a tour in Afghanistan.
The 3rd Congressional District race has tightened in recent months with a generic Republican being favored in the district by eight percent, according to a September Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll. The district, however, has been moved to a toss-up by election forecasters, signaling the race is closer than previously thought.
ISSUES
Immigration: Baccam said he supports securing the U.S.-Mexico border and would work across the aisle to do so and create more pathways to citizenship.
Abortion: Baccam supports restoring federal protections for abortion access and preventing a national abortion ban.
RYAN
MELTON
BIOGRAPHY
Ryan Melton is an insurance supervisor from Webster City and has lived and worked in the community for most of his life. Melton was born and grew up in Omaha, Nebraska. He went to Iowa State University and obtained a Bachelor of Science in history and political science.
Melton has made environmental issues and property owner rights the key tenants of his campaign against his opponent Randy Feenstra. However, he has failed to gain traction against Feenstra in the district.
Feenstra is expected to win the race with election forecasters rating the race as “Solid Republican” and a generic Republican is favored by 19 percent, according to a September Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll.
ISSUES
Immigration: Melton said he supports fixing the broken and overwhelmed immigration system and providing more pathways to citizenship. He also supports addressing the root causes of migration to the U.S.
Abortion: Melton supports codifying federal protections for abortion rights into law if he were elected to Congress.
ZACH NUNN
BIOGRAPHY
Zach Nunn currently represents Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District in Congress after being elected in 2022. Nunn beat then-incumbent Democrat Cindy Axne by only a few thousand votes. Nunn currently serves on the Agriculture Committee and the Financial Services Committee.
The 3rd Congressional District race has tightened in recent months with a generic Republican being favored in the district by 8 percent, according to a September Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll. The district, however, has been moved to a toss-up by election forecasters, signaling the race is closer than previously thought.
ISSUES
Immigration: Nunn Supports reforming the immigration system, but supports more aggressive actions to secure the border.
Abortion: Nunn said he is pro-life but does not support a nationwide abortion ban and thinks it should be left to the states.
BIOGRAPHY
Randy Feenstra currently represents Iowa’s 4th Congressional District after being elected in 2020, beating incumbent Republican Steve King in a primary contest. Feenstra was reelected in 2022, beating Democrat Ryan Melton by a wide margin. Feenstra has faced a primary challenge by Kevin Virgil earlier this year for not being conservative enough, but Feenstra won the primary contest. Feenstra currently serves on the house agriculture and house ways and means committee.
RANDY FEENSTRA
Feenstra is expected to win the race with election forecasters rating his race as “Solid Republican” and a generic Republican is favored by 19 percent, according to a September Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll.
ISSUES
Immigration: Feenstra said that he supports securing the southern border by ending “catch and release” policies and reinstating “Remain in Mexico” policies. He also supports fighting the flow of fentanyl into the U.S.
Abortion: Feenstra said he is pro-life and that he is against using tax-payer funding to legalize abortion.
IOWA 4TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
BIOGRAPHY
BIOGRAPHY
JACOBY STEPHEN KNONER
State Rep. David Jacoby, D-Coralville, has served 11 terms in the Iowa House of Representatives and is running for another.
Jacoby has served as a representative of House District 86, which encompasses most of Coralville, since October 2003 and has run unopposed up until this year. Jacoby has said he will use his finance and education experience to implement funding for the education system. Jacoby is running to improve the lives of Iowans while taking into consideration the needs of locals. He also serves on the commerce, natural resources, and government oversight committees.
Jacoby was previously elected to serve on the Coralville City Council and is an active serving member of the economic growth leadership committee.
BIOGRAPHY
Stephen Knoner was previously an international business executive for 30 years. Knoner has committed to supporting term limits in Congress by signing the term limits convention pledge. Knoner is running to give constituents in District 86 a choice that they have not had in 20 years. The candidate also claims to be running to bring “common sense” back to the government. Knoner has knocked on many doors around his district to spread his message. Knoner is a pro-life candidate and has expressed concern over illegal immigration. He believes that immigration is affecting nearly every state. His main concerns also include property tax rates and eminent domain issues. Knoner also has plans to approach sustainable energy policies to keep energy costs in line for everyday citizens.
IOWA HOUSE DISTRICT 86
Jay Gorsh, a former public school teacher and current director of University of Iowa Wildlife Instruction and Leadership Development, is running for Iowa House District 91 as a Democrat. Gorsh grew up in Williamsburg, Iowa. Education is a prominent issue on Gorsh’s campaign website, stating that he wants to increase investment and ensure adequate oversight of funding use. He aims to lower student-teacher ratios and collaborate with school districts and communities across the state to make Iowa the top state for education. Gorsh’s campaign website also highlights conservation as a top priority. He aims to spearhead creative policies to protect soil and water quality and provide incentives to bring long-term benefits.
ANNA BANOWSKY
BIOGRAPHY
BIOGRAPHY
Judd Lawler is a former assistant U.S. attorney and seventh-generation Iowan, according to his campaign website. He advanced from the Republican primary on June 4 and is running for Iowa House District 91. Lawler vows to protect individual rights, particularly the rights of the unborn, and the first six amendments of the U.S. Constitution. He is also committed to ensuring public safety by protecting law enforcement officers, firefighters, public health workers, and the military. His campaign website says Lawler will support legislative measures to give small farmers more freedom and support agriculture and agribusinesses. Having spent years homeschooling his two children, he also supports parents’ right to choose the best educational model for their children.
IOWA HOUSE DISTRICT 91
Anna Banowsky, of Washington County, is a teaching assistant at the University of Iowa. Banowsky is running against incumbent State Rep. Heather Hora, R-Washington, for the seat. Banowsky is a graduate student and purchased a home she fell in love with in Washington County. Now, Banowsky is looking to head to the Iowa House to represent young Iowans in state government and to combat “brain drain” and workforce shortages the state is facing as young Iowans leave the state for other opportunities. Banowsky also joins fellow Democrats in opposition to school vouchers and Iowa’s near-total abortion ban. Banowsky also vows to invest in public education after seeing Hills Elementary School close last spring.
BIOGRAPHY
HEATHER
HORA
Heather Hora, of Washington County, operates a family farm with her husband in rural Iowa. Hora is running for reelection as a Republican in House District 92. Hora was elected to the seat in 2022 after the previous incumbent retired. Hora currently serves on the Education, Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, Natural Resources Committees, and the Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Subcommittee. Hora has supported school vouchers, a near-total abortion ban, and reforming the state’s Area Education Agencies, among dozens of other proposals she voted for during her first term in the Iowa House. Hora was endorsed by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds before 2022 because of her support for school vouchers.
IOWA HOUSE DISTRICT 92
JUDD LAWLER
BIOGRAPHY
IOWA SENATE DISTRICT 46
BIOGRAPHY
ED CHABAL DAWN DRISCOLL
Ed Chabal, a Democrat, is running for the District 46 seat in the Iowa State Senate. According to his campaign website, Chabal was raised on a farm in rural Southeast Iowa. Chabal is a husband and father of two. He has previously served in several roles in education organizations, including as a school business official in the Mount Pleasant Community School District and president of the Association of School Business Officials International Board of Directors. He has also volunteered as a coach for various youth sports teams in his community. Chabal’s campaign website states that he is running to support and fully fund public education, support small businesses, and protect reproductive freedoms.
Dawn Driscoll, a recruiter for Hummer AgriBusiness Search, Inc., is seeking reelection to her seat in the Iowa State Senate for Senate District 46. Driscoll is a Republican and has served her district since January 2023. From 2023-24, she was the chair of the Senate agriculture committee and a member of several other committees, including local government, natural resources and environment, state government, ways and means, and workforce. Driscoll, a sixth-generation farmer, was previously the president of the Iowa County Farm Bureau. Driscoll has been involved in volunteer positions in her community, such as coaching sports teams, teaching religious education classes, and being chair of agriculture programming in local schools.
ROD
SULLIVAN
JOHNSON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
BIOGRAPHY
Rod Sullivan, of Sutliff, Iowa, is running for reelection as a Johnson County supervisor in 2024. Sullivan has served as a supervisor since 2004 and currently holds the position of board chair. Sullivan graduated with a B.A. from the University of Iowa in 1998. His campaign focuses on raising the minimum wage, expanding affordable housing, advocating for human rights, and preserving local landmarks like the Historic Poor Farm. He also prioritizes issues such as climate action, public transportation improvements, and sustainable development. In addition to his public service, Sullivan’s work is deeply rooted in community-centered governance and fiscal responsibility.
BIOGRAPHY
Lisa Green-Douglass, of rural North Liberty, is running for reelection to the Johnson County Board of Supervisors in 2024. She was first elected in a special election in January 2016, filling a vacancy, and has since been reelected in 2016 and 2020. Originally from Carson, California, Green-Douglass moved to Johnson County in 1980 and holds a Ph.D. in Spanish from the University of Iowa. Before her role on the board, she worked as a Spanish-language trainer, collaborating with local law enforcement and other agencies. GreenDouglass is known for her advocacy in mental health care, contributing to the creation of the GuideLink Center.
BIOGRAPHY
LISA GREENDOUGLASS
Mandi Remington, of Iowa City, who has lived in Johnson County for most of her life, is running for a seat on the Johnson County Board of Supervisors in 2024. Growing up in a military family, life in Southern California and Japan before settling in North Liberty at age 14. Over the past 26 years, Remington has experienced the community from many perspectives: as a student, small business owner, single parent, domestic violence survivor, and University of Iowa employee. Currently, Remington is vice chair of the University of Iowa Council on the Status of Women and the founder and director of the Corridor Community Action Network, where she focuses on equity, advocacy, and empowerment.
Abortion takes center stage in the election
Reproductive rights and abortion are a focus for Democrats this election cycle.
Roxy Ekberg Politics Editor roxy.ekberg@dailyiowan.com
Before receiving abortion care, Allison Bierman, 31, of Iowa City, did not consider herself to be politically active. If someone had asked her if she would be speaking at public forums and appearing in Congressional candidate’s ad campaigns, she said she would have laughed in their face.
However, Bierman is now speaking out about her experience requiring an abortion for an ectopic pregnancy, which means the baby was growing outside of
the uterus.
Featured in an ad for Iowa’s 1st Congressional District candidate and Democrat Christina Bohannan, Bierman is encouraging voters to cast their ballots for Bohannan, whose campaign centers on reproductive rights and access to abortion.
Bierman said Iowa’s recent six-week abortion ban catalyzed many people, including herself, to become politically active and advocate for reproductive freedom. The ban, enacted on July 29, bars almost all abortions after fetal cardiac activity is detected.
Local artist Kymbyrly Koester
does not consider herself to be an activist. Instead, she uses art as a medium to express her pro-abortion rights stance. She helped facilitate a visit from the BodyFreedom for Every(Body) truck, a cross-country art exhibition tour advocating for abortion rights, in Iowa City on Sept. 18.
Sitting barefoot in her garden at Public Space One, Koester spoke about her experience receiving an abortion at the Emma Goldman Clinic in Iowa City when she was 23 years old. Koester said Iowa’s abortion ban both saddens and enrages her.
“It breaks my heart if I let it because it should not even be a conversation,” Koester said. “It’s a medical procedure. Everybody, everybody has the right to medical procedures.”
Koester uses art to create space for joy and says holding spaces against the horribleness of hateful legislation is important.
“There’s no excuse, really, to be quiet in this day and age,” Koester said.
Encouraging people to take up space and speak out for their rights, Koester said it is important to vote in both local and national elections, and voters must take the time and energy to read up on candidates’ stances.
With similar and more restrictive abortion bans enacted in 21 states, the upcoming 2024 general election marks the first presidential election in which abortion is on the ballot since the overturning of Roe v. Wade two years prior.
Candidates from the top to the bottom of the ballot have put abortion at the forefront of the upcoming election.
Democrats advocate for abortion rights and push to overturn bans restricting access. Bohannan, running against incumbent U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, has placed reproductive rights at the center of her campaign. Vice President Kamala Harris has done the same in her bid for the White House, using the issue as a platform for her campaign.
Republicans running for office, such as former President Donald Trump, take varying stances on the issue, with some calling for a national abortion ban and others supporting abortion bans with exceptions for rape, incest, or the life of the Mother. Others suggest the issue should be left to the states to decide.
Political messaging from both parties centers around key issues for voters. In this election cycle, abortion is top-of-mind for a large swath of voters.
Reproductive rights and abortion access are top issues for voters in Iowa and across the nation. A September 2024 Pew Research Center survey found that 51 percent of voters feel abortion is an important issue when considering who to vote for in the 2024 election.
A candidate’s stance on the issue is likely to determine whether or not a voter casts a ballot in their favor.
Campaigning on abortion
Megan Goldberg, Cornell College political science professor, said Democratic campaigns are focusing on stories of real women who have required abortion care or have been negatively impacted by restrictive abortion policies, such as Bohannan’s ad featuring Bierman.
Goldberg said this tactic is emotionally appealing to voters and helps show the magnitude of the issue to voters, and Democrats are most effective when they use real stories and real people impacted by the issue.
“It’s one thing for a candidate to come and say there’s a lot of gray area, let me get into the technicalities and the medical terms,” she said. “Frankly, even if it’s a really high-stakes issue when it’s technical, it’s often boring. It’s much more effective to relay information — and this comes from cognitive psychology — to do it in a narrative form, and to illustrate this with a narrative.”
Vice President Kamala Harris has been the White House’s public face for efforts to ensure abortion access and improve maternal health care. In March, she became the highest-ranking U.S. official to make a public visit to an abortion clinic.
Her messaging on abortion has highlighted the stories of those impacted by the abortion ban.
At a rally in Atlanta, Georgia — a swing state — she referenced reporting from ProPublica about two Georgia women whose deaths were deemed preventable by maternal health care experts, who blamed the state’s abortion ban.
Republicans have struggled to navigate how to campaign on abortion.
“Trying to sort of stage out where they actually are on this issue is really tricky for them sometimes,” Goldberg said.
“We saw that there are several candidates right now trying to walk back where the party stands.”
Despite deeming himself the “most pro-life president in history,” Trump has waffled on abortion policy over the years.
Trump cemented the conservative U.S. Supreme Court majority which overturned Roe v. Wade. His latest position is that abortion policies should be decided by the states.
Republican vice president candidate Ohio Sen. JD Vance called for a national abortion ban in 2022. However, in an Oct. 1 debate against Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, he echoed Trump’s stance that abortion should be decided by states.
Goldberg said abortion was not always a polarizing issue as we see it today. Goldberg said before the Roe v. Wade decision, neither party had staked out their contrasting positions on abortion.
important issue to voters because state and national lawmakers can now enact legislation and policy about abortion.
“When you’re voting for a legislator, there is a good chance that they’ll be voting on some sort of reproductive rights concerning abortion, and that wasn’t really the case before,” she said.
Goldberg said the abortion debate that people are familiar with now is very divisive and deeply tied to religion.
“This is one of those issues that they start to become active on as part of an overarching ideology about what family life should look like in the U.S.,” Goldberg said.
Abortion issue spurs endorsements, activism
Reproductive health care and abortion access are critical issues for voters in Iowa politics and across the nation, following restrictive abortion bans such as the Hawkeye state’s recent sixweek abortion ban.
A recent Des Moines Register/ Mediacom poll found 64 percent of Iowans think abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
Nationally, voters largely support abortion access.
According to Gallup’s May 2024 poll on Americans’ abortion views, 51 percent of U.S. adults favor expansive abortion rights, wanting abortion to be legal in all or most cases.
Organizations on either side of the abortion issue support candidates who back their views.
In Iowa, both pro- and antiabortion rights groups support candidates who align with their views on the issue.
Pulse Life Advocates, an Iowa pro-life group, does not endorse candidates but is working to educate Iowans on how candidates stand on the issue of abortion.
of national and state candidates.
“We’re working very vigorously to make sure that Iowans are aware of where candidates stand on the life issue, and if they are in support of restricting abortion, if they’re in support of protecting moms and babies from the harm of abortion,” DeWitte said. “We want people to be educated on that and understand what their positions are regarding the life issue.”
DeWitte and her organization are laying the groundwork with Iowa legislators to bring forward a Life at Conception Act next legislative session.
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa PAC is investing a quarter million dollars into this election, said Mazie Stilwell, director of public affairs in Iowa for Planned Parenthood North Central States. The funds are invested directly into candidates and used to spread education about the importance of reproductive freedom.
Stilwell said the organization knows momentum for reproductive freedom is at an all-time high, and they want to capitalize on that and help voters see how their current representatives have either supported or failed them on the issue.
She said she wants Iowa’s voters to see the difference they can make on the issue.
“We’re in a time where, of course, there’s so much conversation about the presidential election, and we do have an incredible champion at the top of the ticket in Vice President Harris and Governor Walz, but what we also know is that these issues of reproductive freedom are being decided at a state level,” Stilwell said.
The 1st and 3rd District U.S. House races in Iowa are now considered true “tossups,” according to an Oct. 5 Cook Political Report, an organization of nonpartisan elections analysts.
A September Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll found Democrats are favored in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District by three points, well within the poll’s margin of error. The poll marks the first time during the 2024 election cycle that polling showed favor for a Democrat over a Republican in an Iowa Congressional District.
Stilwell said voter turnout for reproductive freedom is especially important in these local elections because legislative seats have come to just six votes in past elections.
Abortion in Iowa’s closest race
Goldberg said in the 2016 election, abortion was top-ofmind for certain types of voters, especially religious political groups, but it is now a much more
Maggie DeWitte, executive director of Pulse Life Advocates, said the organization has been stressing the importance of the upcoming election via its website, blogs, and social media posts. The material highlights the positions
Races in two of Iowa’s Congressional districts tighten, with Democratic candidates capitalizing on their Republican opponents’ wavering and unpopular stances on abortion.
Miller-Meeks, running for reelection in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, first won her seat in Congress against former Iowa state senator and current Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart in 2020 by just six votes. She won reelection against Bohannan in 2022 by seven percentage points.
“We know that these come down to just a handful of votes,” Stilwell said. “So when voters are feeling like their vote doesn’t make a difference, or nobody cares what I really think about these issues, or my one vote isn’t going to tip the balance of power here, my one vote is not going to go far. It’s so important for us to be able to get that message across.”
Bierman said if people want to see an immediate change in Iowa regarding reproductive health care, they need to focus on local and state government and ensure the state has elected officials who reflect what the people want.
Electing pro-choice candidates like Bohannan to Iowa’s legislature won’t reinstate Roe v. Wade, Bierman said, but it will go a long way in the state government of overturning Iowa’s abortion ban. She said electing just a Democratic president will not trickle down to make these changes in local government.
“I really hope people are focusing as much on their local elections as they are the national one as well, because it’s equally, if not more important right now,” Bierman said. ABORTION from 14
Cody Blissett | The Daily Iowan
Former Iowa State Representative Christina Bohannan speaks at the Iowa City Public Library on March 26. Bohannan spoke on Iowa’s abortion rights and answered questions from attendees.
SAMPLE
Write-in
Supreme Court
the following judge of the Supreme Court be retained in office?
David May YES NO
Court of Appeals
Shall the following judges of the Court of Appeals be retained in office?
Mary Ellen Tabor
Tyler J. Buller
Mary Elizabeth Chicchelly
Samuel Langholz
District Court Shall the following judges and associate judges of the District Court be retained in office?
Elizabeth Dupuich
Andrew B. Chappell
David M. Cox
Nicholas Scott
Joan M. Black
Brandon L. Schrock
Measures
Shall the following amendment to the Constitution be adopted?
Summary: Provides for only U.S. citizens aged 18 or older and meeting state and county residency requirements to vote in all elections. Further provides that 17-year-olds who will be 18 years old by the General Election are eligible to vote in the primary election, subject to the same citizenship and residency requirements.
Full Text: Section 1 of Article II of the Constitution of the State of Iowa, as amended by the amendment of 1970, is repealed and the following adopted in lieu thereof:
Section 1. Electors. Only a citizen of the United States of the age of eighteen years, who shall have been a resident of this state for such period of time as shall be provided by law and of the county in which the citizen claims the citizen's vote for such period of time as shall be provided by law, shall be entitled to vote at all elections which are authorized by law. However, for purposes of a primary election, a United States citizen must be at least eighteen years of age as of the next general election following the primary election. The required periods of residence shall not exceed six months in this state and sixty days in the county. YES NO
2
Shall the following amendment to the Constitution be adopted?
Summary: Provides that the lieutenant governor will act as the governor if there is a temporary disability of the governor. Further provides that the lieutenant governor or lieutenant governor-elect will be the governor or governor-elect in the case of the resignation, death, or permanent disability of the governor or governor-elect thus creating a vacancy in the office of lieutenant governor or lieutenant governor-elect, as appropriate.
Full Text: Section 17 of Article IV of the Constitution of the State of Iowa is repealed and the following adopted in lieu thereof:
Sec. 17. Lieutenant governor or lieutenant governor-elect to become or act as governor or governor-elect. If there is a temporary disability of the governor, the lieutenant governor shall act as governor until the disability is removed, or the governor dies, resigns, or is removed from office. In case of the death, resignation, or removal from office of the governor, the lieutenant governor shall become governor for the remainder of the term, which shall create a vacancy in the office of lieutenant governor. This section shall also apply, as appropriate, to the governor-elect and the lieutenant governor-elect.
YES NO
Shall the following public measure be adopted?
Shall the County of Johnson, State of Iowa, issue its general obligation bonds in an amount not exceeding the amount of $30,000,000 for the purpose of acquiring and developing lands with public access provided, in order to protect the water quality in rivers, lakes and streams; protect forests to improve air quality; protect natural areas and wildlife habitat from development; and provide for parks and trails; to be managed by the Johnson County Conservation Board? All expenditures will be subject to an annual independent audit. It is estimated the annual increase in property taxes on a residential property with an actual valuation of one hundred thousand dollars resulting from issuing the bonds will be $7.09. However, the Board of Supervisors may determine in any fiscal year the debt is outstanding to alternatively budget from any other available revenues for the payment of principal, interest, and premium, if any, pursuant to the terms of the bonds.
YES NO