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Chapter 5

Elections

Who’s on the ballot and when, how parties pick nominees, and how a vote count becomes an official result.

The election calendar

June, even years

Primary

Each party picks its nominees. The first Tuesday after the first Monday in June.

November, even years

General election

Nominees face off. The first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

November, odd years

City and school

Mayors, city councils and school boards. Funnel doesn’t cover these.

Any time

Special elections

When a legislative seat opens up mid-term, the Governor sets a date to fill it.

Who’s on the ballot

Iowa HouseAll 100 seats, every two years.
Iowa SenateHalf the 50 seats every two years, for four-year terms.
StatewideGovernor and Lieutenant Governor (one ticket), Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, Secretary of Agriculture and Attorney General: four-year terms, elected in the years between presidential elections (2022, 2026, 2030).
U.S. HouseIowa’s four districts, every two years.
U.S. SenateIowa’s two seats, six-year terms, elected in different years.
JudgesNot elected at first, but voters decide whether to keep them in “retention” votes.

Primaries and the 35% rule

Iowa’s primaries are partisan: you vote in one party’s primary, and you can change your registration at the polls. To win a nomination, a candidate needs at least 35% of the vote. If no one gets there, the party’s convention picks the nominee.

In seats that reliably vote for one party, the primary is effectively the election, and it’s often decided by a small number of voters.

Special elections

When a legislator resigns, dies or takes another office, the Governor calls a special election. There’s no primary: each party picks its candidate at a nominating convention of local party members.

The winner serves the rest of the term. On Funnel, a replacement’s record starts the day they took office, so they’re never counted absent for votes before then.

From election night to official

  1. 1

    Unofficial results

    Counties report through the night. News organizations and civicAPI call races when the outcome is clear. Funnel shows “Projected winner” for a call and “Apparent winner” when every county is in and the margin is at least 5 points.

  2. 2

    The canvass

    Each county’s board of supervisors checks and approves its count, including late absentee and provisional ballots.

  3. 3

    Certification

    The State Board of Canvassers certifies statewide and legislative results, usually late in November. Only then are results official.

  4. 4

    Recounts

    A candidate can ask for a recount, mostly in close races. Recounts rarely change more than a handful of votes.

Redistricting

After each census, Iowa redraws its legislative and congressional maps. Unusually, nonpartisan staff at the Legislative Services Agency draw them, without using voter or incumbent data. The Legislature can only vote a plan up or down; after two rejections it can amend the third. The current maps were first used in 2022, so district numbers before then cover different places.

See the district maps or find your district.

Voting

You can register ahead of time, or at the polls on Election Day with ID and proof of where you live. Iowa requires ID to vote. Absentee voting starts a few weeks before each election.

Deadlines and hours change from time to time, so check the Iowa Secretary of State for the current rules.

Next chapter

Money & lobbying →

Campaign finance reports, and how lobbyists register for and against bills.