View source for Elections in Iowa

{{Short description|none}}
{{ElectionsIA}}
The number of '''elections in Iowa''' varies from year to year.  [[United States presidential election|Presidential elections]] are held every four years. 
{{PresHead|place=Iowa|whig=yes|source=<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/compare.php?year=2008&fips=19&f=1&off=0&elect=0&type=state|title=Presidential General Election Results Comparison – Iowa|publisher=US Election Atlas|access-date=January 1, 2023|author=Leip, David}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|927,019|707,278|29,209|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|897,672|759,061|34,138|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|800,983|653,669|111,379|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|730,617|822,544|29,019|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|682,379|828,940|25,804|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|751,957|741,898|13,053|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|2000|Democratic|634,373|638,517|42,673|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|492,644|620,258|121,173|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|504,891|586,353|263,363|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1988|Democratic|545,355|670,557|9,702|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|703,088|605,620|11,097|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|676,026|508,672|132,963|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|632,863|619,931|26,512|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|706,207|496,206|23,531|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|619,106|476,699|72,126|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|449,148|733,030|2,361|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|722,381|550,565|864|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|729,187|501,858|3,519|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|808,906|451,513|8,354|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|494,018|522,380|21,874|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|547,267|499,876|5,456|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1940|Republican|632,370|578,800|4,260|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|487,977|621,756|33,000|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|414,433|598,019|24,235|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|623,570|379,311|6,608|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|537,458|160,382|278,930|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|634,674|227,921|32,487|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1916|Republican|280,439|221,699|14,806|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|119,805|185,325|187,226|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|275,209|200,771|18,789|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|308,158|149,276|28,659|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1900|Republican|307,808|209,265|13,282|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1896|Republican|289,293|233,741|8,513|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1892|Republican|219,795|196,367|26,997|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1888|Republican|211,603|179,877|12,655|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1884|Republican|197,089|177,316|2,796|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1880|Republican|183,904|105,845|32,919|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1876|Republican|171,326|112,121|9,431|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1872|Republican|131,566|71,189|13,610|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1868|Republican|120,399|74,040|0|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1864|Republican|88,500|49,525|0|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1860|Republican|70,302|55,639|2,798|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1856|Republican|45,073|37,568|9,669|Iowa}}
{{PresRow|1852|Democratic|15,856|17,763|1,745|Iowa}}
{{PresFoot|1848|Democratic|9,930|11,238|1,103|Iowa}}
Since 1972, Iowa has been the first state to vote in [[United States presidential primary|presidential primaries]], with their [[Iowa caucus|caucuses]].  As with presidential elections, [[gubernatorial elections]] are held every four years - but are staggered such that they are held on general elections independently of the presidential election.  Members of the [[Iowa Senate]] are elected every four years, with half of the Senate elected at each general election; all members of the [[Iowa House of Representatives]] are  elected every two years.  Additionally, elections for various government officials, judicial retention elections, and elections on referendums occur as part of various elections in Iowa.

In a 2020 study, Iowa was ranked as the 24th easiest state for citizens to vote in.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=J. Pomante II |first1=Michael |last2=Li |first2=Quan |title=Cost of Voting in the American States: 2020 |journal=Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy |date=15 Dec 2020 |volume=19 |issue=4 |pages=503–509 |doi=10.1089/elj.2020.0666 |s2cid=225139517 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

==Electoral system==

===Party system===
{{main|Iowa caucuses}}

The [[Iowa caucuses|Iowa Caucus]] is an electoral event in which residents meet in [[electoral precinct|precinct]] [[caucus]]es in all of Iowa's 1,681 precincts and elect delegates to the corresponding [[List of counties in Iowa|county convention]]s.

==General elections==
In Iowa, a [[general election]] is held on [[Election Day (United States)|Election Day]] during even-numbered years.  In addition to the elections for the chief executive and legislature of the United States and of Iowa, general elections in Iowa include statewide elections for the [[Iowa Secretary of State|Secretary of State]], [[Iowa Auditor of State|Auditor of State]], [[Iowa Treasurer of State|Treasurer of State]], [[Iowa Secretary of Agriculture|Secretary of Agriculture]], and [[Iowa Attorney General|Attorney General]].  Also included are [[Retention election|judicial retention elections]] and proposed amendments to the Iowa Constitution, along with various local elections.

==Local elections==
In Iowa, various local officials are elected at the general election.  However, [[school board|school]] and city elections are not held during a general election, but at a different regularly scheduled time.  Regular school elections are held on the second Tuesday in September during odd-numbered years.<ref>Iowa Code § 277.1</ref>  Regular city elections are held on Election Day during odd-numbered years.<ref>Iowa Code § 376.1</ref>

==Special elections==
In Iowa, [[special election]]s may be held throughout the year to fill various governmental vacancies or to vote on [[ballot initiatives]].  Special elections are generally held on Tuesdays and may not generally be held on the same day as a general or local election.<ref>Iowa Code § 39.2(1)</ref>

==See also==
*[[United States presidential elections in Iowa]]
*[[2020 Iowa elections]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20101126152549/http://www.sos.state.ia.us/elections/ Voting and Elections Information] at the Iowa Secretary of State official website
*{{Ballotpedia|Iowa|Iowa}}
* {{citation |author= [[Government Documents Round Table]] of the American Library Association |work=Voting & Elections Toolkits |url= https://godort.libguides.com/votingtoolkit/iowa |title= Iowa }}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20081209100913/http://www.legis.state.ia.us/electionlaws/ElectionLaws.pdf Iowa election laws] - a compilation of Iowa laws related to elections.
**[https://web.archive.org/web/20081209100842/http://www.legis.state.ia.us/ElectionLaws/2008Supp.pdf Iowa election laws changed pages] - an update with those pages changed since the last publication of the Iowa election laws, current as of October 2008.
* {{citation |work=[[Vote.org]] |location=Oakland, CA |url= https://www.vote.org/state/iowa/ |title= Iowa: Election Tools, Deadlines, Dates, Rules, and Links }}
* {{cite web |title= League of Women Voters of Iowa |url= https://www.lwvia.org }} (State affiliate of the U.S. [[League of Women Voters]])
* {{citation |url=https://www.followthemoney.org/at-a-glance?y=2020&s=IA |title=Georgia 2019 & 2020 Elections |work=[[OpenSecrets]] |author1= National Institute on Money in Politics |author2=Campaign Finance Institute }}. (Also: [https://www.followthemoney.org/at-a-glance?y=1998&s=IA 1997 & 1998], [https://www.followthemoney.org/at-a-glance?y=2000&s=IA 1999 & 2000], [https://www.followthemoney.org/at-a-glance?y=2002&s=IA 2001 & 2002], [https://www.followthemoney.org/at-a-glance?y=2004&s=IA 2003 & 2004],  [https://www.followthemoney.org/at-a-glance?y=2006&s=IA 2005 & 2006], [https://www.followthemoney.org/at-a-glance?y=2008&s=IA 2007 & 2008], [https://www.followthemoney.org/at-a-glance?y=2010&s=IA 2009 & 2010], [https://www.followthemoney.org/at-a-glance?y=2012&s=IA 2011 & 2012], [https://www.followthemoney.org/at-a-glance?y=2014&s=IA 2013 & 2014], [https://www.followthemoney.org/at-a-glance?y=2016&s=IA 2015 & 2016], [https://www.followthemoney.org/at-a-glance?y=2018&s=IA 2017 & 2018]).
* [[Digital Public Library of America]]. Assorted materials related to [https://dp.la/search?q=Iowa+election* Iowa elections]
* {{citation |title=State Elections Legislation Database |quote= State legislation related to the administration of elections introduced in 2011 through this year, 2020 |url= https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/elections-legislation-database.aspx |publisher=[[National Conference of State Legislatures]] |work=Ncsl.org |location=Washington, D.C. }}

{{ElectionsByUSState}}
{{Iowa}}
{{Current Iowa statewide political officials}}

[[Category:Iowa elections| ]]
[[Category:Government of Iowa]]
[[Category:Political events in Iowa]]