Voting

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said Justice Department election monitors are expected at a couple of Iowa locations, although he did not have an exact count. He described their role as observing compliance with civil rights protections, including access for voters with disabilities and opportunities to cast provisional ballots.

County auditors around the state are warning voters of a social media post that falsely claims paper ballots marked by poll workers will be disqualified in the midterm elections. Under Iowa law, an election official is required to initial each ballot issued to a voter.

Republican Chris McGowan is favored to win the race in Iowa’s 4th Congressional District — the state’s most conservative House seat. But Democrat Dave Dawson is trying take the district in a different direction. A strong showing for either candidate could boost other statewide contests.

Early in-person absentee voting for the 2026 election starts Wednesday, Oct. 14. Iowans can start casting their ballots for governor, a U.S. Senate seat, members of the U.S. House of Representatives and other races.

Prepare for the 2026 election now. Enter your address to see who's running for elected office, this year's constitutional amendment and judges facing retention decisions.

Canada retaliates with new tariffs — and Iowa is named a deliberate target. On this Politics Day episode, we get analysis from political scientists Jim McCormick and Kelly Shaw of Iowa State University. With just over 50 days until the election, we look at how the trade war is shaping our state's most competitive races. Republicans hold their first-ever midterm convention starting Wednesday in Dallas — and some Iowa Republicans are staying home. We also discuss a new rule on mail-in voting heading to the Supreme Court for the third time and more.