Absentee Ballots Requested Reach Record High in Iowa

The state of Iowa has seen unprecedented numbers of absentee ballots requested ahead of the June 2 Democratic and Republican primaries. Due to COVID-19, voters could be wary to go to the polls on election day, but most of the surge has been from Secretary of State Paul Pate’s decision to mail every registered Iowa voter an absentee ballot request form.

As of Friday, 474,427 Iowans requested an absentee ballot, far surpassing the 50,868 people who voted by mail in the 2018 primary, and eclipsing the 288,749 Iowans that voted in that primary.

So far, over 57,000 more Democrats than Republicans have requested a ballot for the primary. While these are not the final margins, it signifies that Democrats are eager to vote, and this trend could be helpful for the general election in November.

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Iowa Political Consultant Jeff Link points to the fact that more Republicans than Democrats voted in the 2016 primary, previewing the significant wins for Republicans that year. 

“The fact that there were more Republicans, even by a slight number than Democrats, that participated in that primary led to a big general election for the Republicans,” Link said.

The absentee ballot numbers also provide some interesting insights into some of the most competitive primary races on June 2. In Iowa’s 4th Congressional District, incumbent congressman Steve King is facing a challenge from State Senator Randy Feenstra. There have been 67,978 ballots requested in the 4th District, which is more than one in every three registered Republicans.

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It is intriguing to note where these ballots are coming from. More Republican absentee ballots have been requested in Senate District 2, the district Feenstra represents, than in any other Senate District in the state. 9,578 Republican ballots have been requested in that district, 1,200 more than the next closest district. This large amount of absentees requested from his district stands to help Feenstra as he takes on King. 

Another interesting area to watch is House District 85 where Democratic Representative Vicki Lensing is facing a primary challenge from Christina Bohannan. In that district, 5,760 Democratic absentee ballots have been requested, the highest in the state. This large number of ballots being requested is likely due to the campaigns encouraging their voters to vote early via absentee ballot.

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What remains to be seen is how the increase in absentee ballots will affect all of the primary races. Link thinks that it will surely “shake things up.” The electorate is expanding, and any primary campaign that can get their supporters to vote by mail will likely see advantages on primary night.

You can find the absentee information on the Iowa Secretary of State’s website.

by Adam Henderson
Posted 5/24/20

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