AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Iowa on Election Day

By KIA BREAUX and MAYA SWEEDLER The Associated Press

John Olsen, of Ankeny, Iowa, stands in line for early voting at the Polk County Election Office, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Charlie Neibergall]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Iowa has a long history as a presidential battleground state, but when voters cast their ballots in the general election on Nov. 5, it’s the races further down the ballot that may get the most attention.

Voters will decide competitive U.S. House contests that could decide control of the chamber, as well as state legislative races that could hand Iowa Republicans a veto-proof supermajority. They’ll also consider statewide ballot measures that would require citizenship to vote and modify the line of succession for governor.

Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump will compete for the state’s six electoral votes. Iowa had among the narrowest presidential vote margins in the 2000 and 2004 elections, when it voted for Democrat Al Gore and then for Republican George W. Bush. Barack Obama was the last Democrat to win the state in 2008 and 2012.

Changes in the state’s political leanings since then may have pushed Iowa further out of reach for Democrats. The GOP holds all of Iowa’s congressional seats, the governorship, most statewide offices and lopsided majorities in the state Legislature. Trump won Iowa by comfortable margins in 2016 and 2020. This year, neither candidate nor their running mates have visited Iowa since becoming their parties’ nominees.

In the race for the closely divided U.S. House, two Republican incumbents face competitive reelection bids. In the 1st District, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks faces a rematch with Democrat Christina Bohannan, a former state senator who lost to Miller-Meeks in 2022 by a 7-point margin. In the 3rd District, Republican Rep. Zach Nunn seeks a second term against Democrat Lanon Baccam, a former USDA administrator. Trump won the Des Moines-area district by a margin of just 0.4 percentage points. Democrats need a net gain of only a few seats to regain control of the U.S. House.

In the state Legislature, Republicans already enjoy large majorities in both chambers and need to pick up a few more state House seats for a supermajority, although they already control the governorship.

Voters will also consider two constitutional amendments. One would prohibit state and local governments from allowing non-citizens to vote and would allow 17-year-olds to vote in primary elections if they will be 18 by the general election. The other measure would clarify the line of succession if the state’s lieutenant governor were to become governor.

The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it has determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

Here’s a look at what to expect in the 2024 election in Iowa:

Election Day

Nov. 5.

Poll closing time

9 p.m. ET.

Presidential electoral votes

6 awarded to statewide winner.

Key races and candidates

President: Harris (D) vs. Trump (R) vs. Chase Oliver (Libertarian) vs. Claudia De la Cruz (Party for Socialism and Liberation) vs. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (We The People) and two others.

1st Congressional District: Rep. Miller-Meeks (R) vs. Bohannan (D).

3rd Congressional District: Rep. Nunn (R) vs. Baccam (D).

Ballot measures: Amendment 1 (require citizenship to vote and modify voting age).

Other races of interest

U.S. House, state Senate, state House and Amendment 2 (modify gubernatorial succession).

Past presidential results

2020: Trump (R) 53%, Biden (D) 45%, AP race call: Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020, 12:21 p.m. ET.

Voter registration and turnout

Registered voters: 2,223,492 (as of Sep. 3, 2024).

Voter turnout in 2020 presidential election: 74% of registered voters.

Pre-Election Day voting

Votes cast before Election Day 2020: about 59% of the total vote.

Votes cast before Election Day 2022: about 30% of the total vote.

Votes cast before Election Day 2024: See AP Advance Vote tracker.

How long does vote-counting take?

First votes reported, Nov. 3, 2020: 10:11 p.m. ET.

By midnight ET: about 82% of total votes cast were reported.

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Breaux reported from Kansas City, Missouri. Associated Press writers Hannah Fingerhut contributed to this report.

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Read more about how U.S. elections work at Explaining Election 2024, a series from The Associated Press aimed at helping make sense of the American democracy. The AP receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.