Midterm elections 2022: Voting in Des Moines

Welcome to Axios Des Moines' special midterm guide, with everything you need to know before you mail in your ballot or head to the polls.

Why it matters: This is the first major election since Iowa redistricted in 2021, creating new legislative seats and tight races pitting incumbents against each other.

• Redistricting also resulted in Iowa's U.S. House races becoming more competitive. With the Democrats' House majority on the line, Iowa's 3rd District race could be under the microscope.

Voting in central Iowa

✉️ Early voting: Starting Oct. 19, Iowans can either vote at their county auditor's office in-person during business hours or send a completed mail-in ballot request that's received by the county before 5pm on Oct. 24.

• Once voters receive their ballots, they must be turned in by 8pm on Election Day.
• Here are Polk County, Dallas County and Madison County early-voting details.

🗳 Election Day: Polls open from 7am to 8pm. Find your voting location here.

• You will need to show your government-issued ID.

U.S. House: Cindy Axne (D) vs. Zach Nunn (R)

Iowa's 3rd Congressional District race pits Democrat incumbent Cindy Axne and Republican challenger Zach Nunn. Two important issues are:

• Handling inflation

Axne: She supported the Inflation Reduction Act, which increased taxes on large corporations, addressed climate change and lowered prescription drug costs.

Nunn: He wants "meaningful tax cuts" to help boost Americans' wallets, along with investments in American energy and fixing the supply chain and workforce shortages, according to the Des Moines Register.

• Guns

Axne: She believes in bringing back an assault weapons ban, according to the KCCI debate.

Nunn: He wants Congress to further fund and support hiring police officers to help address gun violence.

Go deeper:

• Abortion rights take center stage during Axne v. Nunn debate
• Political pulse: College debt loan forgiveness
• Political pulse: Inflation Reduction Act

U.S. Senate: Mike Franken (D) vs. Chuck Grassley (R)

Iowa's U.S. Senate race is turning out to be a close one as long-serving Republican incumbent Chuck Grassley faces Democratic challenger Mike Franken.

• Grassley's lead has narrowed to 3 percentage points, signaling his toughest re-election fight in 40 years, according to the latest Iowa Poll. The 89-year-old is seeking his eighth term in the Senate.

Key issues in their race include:

• Abortion

Grassley: He is anti-abortion rights and has said decisions on abortion limits should be left to the states.

Franken: He is pro-abortion rights and has said abortion protections should be codified in federal law.

• Insulin prices

Grassley: He was one of 43 Republicans who this year blocked a $35 monthly cap on insulin costs for people covered by private insurance.

• He opposed the amendment because it didn't follow procedural rules. He said during this month's debate that he supports the cap and has supported other measures to achieve lower costs.

Franken: His campaign argues Grassley's vote on the insulin amendment underscores his history to protect campaign donor profits over people.

• Grassley voted multiple times against the Affordable Care Act with no alternative because he "wants vapid profits" for the healthcare industry, Franken said during the debate.
• An alleged kiss

Franken: He was asked during the debate about a former campaign staffer's allegation that he gave her an unwanted kiss.

• He noted the matter was investigated by police and unfounded. He accused Grassley of politicizing the matter while weaponizing women's rights.

Grassley: He responded by telling Franken he's in no position to lecture him about women.

• He also said his campaign did not release the accusation, which was first reported by Iowa Field Report, a conservative website.

Go deeper:

• Grassley's and Franken's campaigns spar over KKK reference
• Gun control shaping race between Franken and Grassley

Governor's race: Deidre DeJear (D) vs. Kim Reynolds (R)

State of play: Iowa Poll results released Monday show Gov. Kim Reynolds has a commanding 17-point lead over Deidre DeJear, the Register reports. The following issues have been the focus of their race:

• Workforce shortage

DeJear: She wants to "build back" Iowa's workforce by investing in K-12 and higher education, while also offering higher retention bonuses to educators, according to Radio Iowa. Reynolds gave teachers a $1,000 bonus this year.

• DeJear also wants to bring back collective bargaining power and raise the state's minimum wage to an unspecified amount.

Reynolds: Reynolds cut the state's unemployment benefits in 2021 to try to prompt more Iowans to work.

• She also used millions in pandemic aid to fund internship, apprenticeship and scholarship programs. In 2018, she helped create the Future Ready Iowa Act, which funds training for needed jobs, the Register reports.
• Education

DeJear: She wants to increase education funding for K-12 schools by at least 4% — nearly double the 2.5% increase Reynolds approved this year, according to IPR.

• DeJear also wants to offer universal preschool and opposes Reynolds' private school tuition plan.

Reynolds: The governor said she is "pro-parent" during an Iowa Press debate and has advocated for her "school choice" bill, which would have allowed low- and middle-income students to leave their public schools and use state funding on private tuition instead.

• Abortion

DeJear: She would veto any abortion restrictions lawmakers send to her desk and "protect the right to choose," IPR reports.

Reynolds: She is seeking court action to reinstate a law that bans the majority of abortions at six weeks, except in the case of rape, incest or the mother's life being at risk.

Go deeper:

• Iowa's governor's race 'solidly Republican'
• Reynolds seeks 6-week abortion ban
• Reynolds' school voucher program fails to pass
• Dejear explains decision to sit while officers recognized

Gun rights on the ballot

Iowa would have some of the most extensive gun rights guarantees in the nation under a constitutional amendment on the midterm ballot.

• The Iowa amendment would be subject to "strict scrutiny," the highest legal hurdle for legislation to clear if challenged in court.
• Amendment advocates say it's a long-overdue measure to protect gun ownership as a fundamental individual right, but opponents contend it would override common-sense measures to protect public safety.

Read more.

More midterm elections news from Axios:

• Midterm elections 2022: What matters
• Abortion looms over 2022 state ballots
• Tracking candidates endorsed by Donald Trump