Iowa's early voting drops 39% from pandemic high
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Iowa's early voting totals this year are pacing 39% below what they were at this time in 2020 — but slightly higher than the same time during the 2016 pre-pandemic general election.
Why it matters: This is the first presidential cycle since Iowa changed its voting laws that limit early and absentee voting access.
Catch up quick: Iowa Republican lawmakers in 2021 cut the state's early voting from 29 to 20 days, restricted ballot drop boxes to one per county and limited who can return other people's ballots to immediate family, household members or caregivers.
- Absentee ballots must also be received before polls close. Previously, they could be counted if they arrived by noon on the Monday following an election.
Flashback: Republicans said the changes were necessary to strengthen election security. Democrats challenged that the law did nothing to accomplish those goals and would instead suppress votes.
By the numbers: Just over 480,000 Iowans had voted as of Wednesday morning, according to Iowa Secretary of State data.
- Roughly 472,000 had voted this time in the 2016 election cycle and 783,000 in 2020, the Iowa Capital Dispatch reports.
The intrigue: More people voted absentee in 2020 than in typical election cycles due to the pandemic when Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate automatically sent out absentee ballot request forms to voters statewide.
- Statewide mailings are no longer allowed under Iowa law. Iowans must now request them via their county auditor.
Zoom in: Polk County's early voting might reach 2016 levels but is unlikely to hit the 2020 record of just over 141,000, partly due to the early voting changes in the law, Auditor Jamie Fitzgerald tells Axios.
- Nearly 75,000 people had voted early in Polk County as of Wednesday morning, compared to 88,000 in the 2016 general election.
What they're saying: The law created barriers to voting, which were evident during the 2022 midterm election, Iowa House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst tells Axios.
- Almost 104,000 fewer total votes were cast in 2022 than the last midterms, about 8% lower than in 2018.
Yes, but: The 2018 midterm — when Gov. Kim Reynolds defeated Democrat Fred Hubbell and won her first full term — holds the state's record for most total votes cast.
- 2022 midterm total turnout was Iowa's second highest, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, a Republican, said in a press release at the time.
The big picture: Nationally, the popularity and prevalence of early voting have rendered Election Day an outdated concept for much of the country, Axios' Ivana Saric reports.
- According to an NBC News poll released this month, more than half of voters plan to vote before the election.
What's next: People may still vote early in person at their county auditor's offices until Monday, though exact daily schedules vary.