🐪 Happy Wednesday!

🌧️ Weather: Mostly sunny, then a chance for rain; high of 76 and low of 58.

Today’s newsletter is 776 words — a 3-minute read.

Iowans are casting early ballots at a considerably faster rate than in the 2022 midterms, with more than 307,000 ballots received as of yesterday morning.

Why it matters: The surge — nearly 30% higher than four years ago — signals heightened interest in Iowa's closely watched midterms, but doesn't necessarily mean overall turnout will increase.

By the numbers: Iowa county auditors had received 307,080 absentee ballots as of yesterday morning, including ballots cast early in person.

• At the same point — seven days before Election Day — in 2022, 238,939 ballots had been received.

State of play: Of the early ballots received this year, about 49% came from registered Democrats (151,842), 32% from Republicans (99,628) and 18% from no-party voters (54,610).

• Those figures reflect party registration, not which candidates received votes.

Flashback: Democrats account for a smaller share of early ballots than in 2022, while no-party voters represent a larger share.

• At the same point four years ago, Democrats accounted for 54% of ballots received, Republicans 32% and no-party voters 14%.

Zoom in: Polk County Auditor Jamie Fitzgerald has reported unusually busy early voting, with the main election office topping 1,500 voters on multiple days and satellite voting already breaking the county's 2022 midterm record.

• As of yesterday morning, about 53,500 ballots had been received.

The big picture: Iowa is part of a broader surge in early voting this midterm election.

• More than 12.6 million Americans had voted by Oct. 20, with several competitive states reporting strong participation.

What's next: Polk County's satellite voting concluded Saturday, but voters can continue casting early ballots at the county election office — 2309 Euclid Ave. in DSM — through Nov. 2.

• Election Day is Nov. 3.

Worthy of your time: Polk's sample ballots

Des Moines City Council members Mike Simonson and Joe Gatto, both Democrats, are featured in a TV advertisement this week for Republican U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn.

Why it matters: The cross-party endorsements are efforts to appeal to voters beyond party lines, but they have also sparked backlash from Des Moines Democrats, including a pledge to withdraw future financial support.

State of play: In a television ad released by Nunn's campaign, Simonson and Gatto say they're supporting Nunn.

• "I'm a moderate Democrat on the Des Moines City Council," Simonson says. "I'm supporting Rob Sand and I strongly support Zach Nunn."
• "I'm not voting for Sarah Trone Garriott," Gatto says. "Zach Nunn delivers for Iowa."
• Simonson and Gatto did not respond to Axios' request for comment.

Flashback: Last December, Trone Garriott's campaign released a list of local endorsements, which included Simonson.

• In 2025, Simonson donated $7,500 to her campaign, per FEC filings.

The other side: Des Moines City Council member Carl Voss has endorsed Trone Garriott.

What they're saying: "Republicans, Democrats, and Independents support Zach Nunn because they know he delivers for Iowa," according to a statement from Mark Matava, a spokesperson for Nunn's campaign.

• Trone Garriott's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

📺 Democrat Rob Sand and Republican Zach Lahn agreed Iowa needs to improve mental health care and address problems with Medicaid privatization, but differed on how to do it during their last debate. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)

🧠 West Des Moines schools will begin offering in-person mental health services. (KCCI)

📚 Des Moines Public Schools enrolled nearly 4,000 students in AP courses this year, a record for the district. (WHO-13)

🚰 Bondurant broke ground on a new water treatment plant. (KCCI)

The Aston — a nearly $50 million luxury apartment project in Des Moines' East Village that's named after a dog — is now preleasing.

State of play: The seven-story development at 603 E. Sixth St. replaces the former American College of Hairstyling building, which Heart of America Group (HOA) demolished to make way for the apartments.

• It has 161 units, including studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments.

Zoom in: Amenities include pickleball and bocce courts, a dog park, a fitness center, underground parking, and soundproofing.

• Rent starts at $1,300, with move-ins expected next month.

🐕 Fun fact: The project is named after HOA founder Mike Whalen's late Wheaten terrier.

What's next: A grand opening is planned in the coming weeks, Krysia Hannam, the company's director of property, tells Axios.

🚦 Something bright to go: Des Moines' last traffic signal corridor without fiber connectivity— Guthrie Avenue from East 14th Street to Hubbell Avenue — will be upgraded starting next year.

• The improvements will synchronize lights, reduce unnecessary stops and ease congestion.

This newsletter was edited by Chloe Gonzales.