Election 2022
Midterm voting mostly problem-free in battleground states, voting advocates report
Voting across the country has largely gone smoothly as of midday Tuesday, without any major issues or incidents of voter intimidation, voting rights advocates said. In counties that did experience problems, which were typical of any Election Day, the incidents were largely attributed to faulty technology and human error. In Maricopa County, Arizona, one of […]
Township ballot omits Linn County supervisor’s race: ‘We screwed up’
A ballot error in one Linn County township has resulted in some voters being denied the opportunity to vote for a representative on the county board of supervisors. In a written statement issued this afternoon, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said the error affects only those ballots printed for Linn County’s Putnam Township. Those […]
Behind the scenes at a local TV station on election night
Most journalists love election night. It’s fast-paced, exciting, late-breaking, unpredictable. You know in your heart that viewers and readers really want to know what happened, so it takes all your skills to deliver a ton of information in an understandable way. In TV news, the key to a successful election night is preparation weeks in advance. […]
Here’s what Iowans should know to vote on Election Day
Iowa voters will head to the polls on Nov. 8 to cast their ballots for state and federal offices, judicial retention and a constitutional amendment. There have been multiple changes to Iowa’s voting rules since the last general election. Polls close an hour earlier on Election Day than in past general elections and voters have […]
More than 42 million Americans already have voted in the midterms
WASHINGTON — More than 42 million Americans by midafternoon on Monday had gotten a jump start on Tuesday’s midterm elections, casting their votes through mail-in ballots or by heading to in-person early voting centers. The United States Election Project’s data showed a significant number of voters continue to prefer voting ahead of Election Day, possibly continuing a […]
We have to raise our expectations for election losers
In an election, all the attention is on the winners. That’s normal. Our expectations are focused on what candidates will do if they win. But this year, maybe for the first time, we need to be clear about our expectations for the candidates who fall short on Election Day. These would-be public servants have a […]
Iowa’s congressional candidates view health care as top policy issue
Health care remains a top issue for Iowa’s U.S. House and Senate candidates as the Nov. 8 election comes up, with most of them ranking the topic in their top five priorities. Here are the Republican and Democratic candidates’ positions on several health care issues. Expanding rural health care Mike Franken, Iowa’s Democratic candidate for […]
Concerns grow that voter intimidation could disrupt midterm elections
PHOENIX — The two outdoor ballot drop boxes in Maricopa County are both unassuming — secure metal boxes, about the size of blue mailboxes, located just outside county buildings. But in recent weeks, they’ve at times been monitored by volunteers with far-right organizations, prompted by former President Donald Trump’s claims of widespread fraud and misinformation […]
Misinformation about voting crops up around the U.S. as midterm elections near
In Colorado, an error in early October involving voter registration postcards that were mailed to non-citizens in the state morphed into a conspiracy theory about voter fraud. In Iowa, voters in late September received phone calls spreading misinformation about how they could vote, with Iowans falsely told they could cast their ballots over the phone, the Iowa Capital Dispatch […]
Grassley regains double-digit lead in Iowa Poll
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley regained a double-digit lead over Democratic challenger Mike Franken in the Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll published Saturday. The longtime Republican senator led his opponent 53% to 41% in the poll, which surveyed 801 Iowans who said they have already voted or would definitely vote. The poll, conducted by Selzer & Co., […]
Climate funding could suffer in the farm bill under GOP control of Congress
WASHINGTON — Republicans who may take control of Congress in next week’s midterm elections have not been very specific about many policy goals — but the farm bill is an exception. Members of the GOP in the U.S. House and Senate are sending strong signals they want to strip climate funding from the massive legislation […]
Weed on the ballot: Voters could approve legal marijuana in 5 more states
Midterm voters in five states, including two of Iowa’s neighbors, will determine if they should join the growing list of places where recreational marijuana use is allowed, even as any use of the drug is still illegal under federal law. Referendums to legalize recreational use of marijuana are on Nov. 8 ballots in Arkansas, Maryland, […]