The number ofelections in Iowa varies from year to year.Presidential elections are held every four years.
| Year | Republican / Whig | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1848 | 9,930 | 44.59% | 11,238 | 50.46% | 1,103 | 4.95% |
| 1852 | 15,856 | 44.84% | 17,763 | 50.23% | 1,745 | 4.93% |
| 1856 | 45,073 | 48.83% | 37,568 | 40.70% | 9,669 | 10.47% |
| 1860 | 70,302 | 54.61% | 55,639 | 43.22% | 2,798 | 2.17% |
| 1864 | 88,500 | 64.12% | 49,525 | 35.88% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1868 | 120,399 | 61.92% | 74,040 | 38.08% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1872 | 131,566 | 60.81% | 71,189 | 32.90% | 13,610 | 6.29% |
| 1876 | 171,326 | 58.50% | 112,121 | 38.28% | 9,431 | 3.22% |
| 1880 | 183,904 | 56.99% | 105,845 | 32.80% | 32,919 | 10.20% |
| 1884 | 197,089 | 52.25% | 177,316 | 47.01% | 2,796 | 0.74% |
| 1888 | 211,603 | 52.36% | 179,877 | 44.51% | 12,655 | 3.13% |
| 1892 | 219,795 | 49.60% | 196,367 | 44.31% | 26,997 | 6.09% |
| 1896 | 289,293 | 54.42% | 233,741 | 43.97% | 8,513 | 1.60% |
| 1900 | 307,808 | 58.04% | 209,265 | 39.46% | 13,282 | 2.50% |
| 1904 | 308,158 | 63.39% | 149,276 | 30.71% | 28,659 | 5.90% |
| 1908 | 275,209 | 55.62% | 200,771 | 40.58% | 18,789 | 3.80% |
| 1912 | 119,805 | 24.33% | 185,325 | 37.64% | 187,226 | 38.03% |
| 1916 | 280,439 | 54.25% | 221,699 | 42.89% | 14,806 | 2.86% |
| 1920 | 634,674 | 70.91% | 227,921 | 25.46% | 32,487 | 3.63% |
| 1924 | 537,458 | 55.02% | 160,382 | 16.42% | 278,930 | 28.56% |
| 1928 | 623,570 | 61.77% | 379,311 | 37.57% | 6,608 | 0.65% |
| 1932 | 414,433 | 39.98% | 598,019 | 57.69% | 24,235 | 2.34% |
| 1936 | 487,977 | 42.70% | 621,756 | 54.41% | 33,000 | 2.89% |
| 1940 | 632,370 | 52.03% | 578,800 | 47.62% | 4,260 | 0.35% |
| 1944 | 547,267 | 51.99% | 499,876 | 47.49% | 5,456 | 0.52% |
| 1948 | 494,018 | 47.58% | 522,380 | 50.31% | 21,874 | 2.11% |
| 1952 | 808,906 | 63.75% | 451,513 | 35.59% | 8,354 | 0.66% |
| 1956 | 729,187 | 59.06% | 501,858 | 40.65% | 3,519 | 0.29% |
| 1960 | 722,381 | 56.71% | 550,565 | 43.22% | 864 | 0.07% |
| 1964 | 449,148 | 37.92% | 733,030 | 61.88% | 2,361 | 0.20% |
| 1968 | 619,106 | 53.01% | 476,699 | 40.82% | 72,126 | 6.18% |
| 1972 | 706,207 | 57.61% | 496,206 | 40.48% | 23,531 | 1.92% |
| 1976 | 632,863 | 49.47% | 619,931 | 48.46% | 26,512 | 2.07% |
| 1980 | 676,026 | 51.31% | 508,672 | 38.60% | 132,963 | 10.09% |
| 1984 | 703,088 | 53.27% | 605,620 | 45.89% | 11,097 | 0.84% |
| 1988 | 545,355 | 44.50% | 670,557 | 54.71% | 9,702 | 0.79% |
| 1992 | 504,891 | 37.27% | 586,353 | 43.29% | 263,363 | 19.44% |
| 1996 | 492,644 | 39.92% | 620,258 | 50.26% | 121,173 | 9.82% |
| 2000 | 634,373 | 48.22% | 638,517 | 48.54% | 42,673 | 3.24% |
| 2004 | 751,957 | 49.90% | 741,898 | 49.23% | 13,053 | 0.87% |
| 2008 | 682,379 | 44.39% | 828,940 | 53.93% | 25,804 | 1.68% |
| 2012 | 730,617 | 46.18% | 822,544 | 51.99% | 29,019 | 1.83% |
| 2016 | 800,983 | 51.15% | 653,669 | 41.74% | 111,379 | 7.11% |
| 2020 | 897,672 | 53.09% | 759,061 | 44.89% | 34,138 | 2.02% |
| 2024 | 927,019 | 55.73% | 707,278 | 42.52% | 29,209 | 1.76% |
Since 1972, Iowa has been the first state to vote inpresidential primaries, with theircaucuses. 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 theIowa Senate are elected every four years, with half of the Senate elected at each general election; all members of theIowa 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.[2]
TheIowa Caucus is an electoral event in which residents meet inprecinctcaucuses in all of Iowa's 1,681 precincts and elect delegates to the correspondingcounty conventions.
In Iowa, ageneral election is held onElection 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 theSecretary of State,Auditor of State,Treasurer of State,Secretary of Agriculture, andAttorney General. Also included arejudicial retention elections and proposed amendments to the Iowa Constitution, along with various local elections.
In Iowa, various local officials are elected at the general election. However,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.[3] Regular city elections are held on Election Day during odd-numbered years.[4]
In Iowa,special elections may be held throughout the year to fill various governmental vacancies or to vote onballot initiatives. Special elections are generally held on Tuesdays and may not generally be held on the same day as a general or local election.[5]
State legislation related to the administration of elections introduced in 2011 through this year, 2020
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Statewide political officials ofIowa | ||
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| U.S. senators |  | |
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| Supreme Court (appointed, retained by election) |
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