Iowans have gone to the polls and cast their votes for president, Congress, the Iowa Legislature and county offices.
Republicans had a good night on Tuesday. Former President Donald Trump won big, GOP incumbents won or lead in Iowa’s highly competitive congressional races and Republicans are on their way to expanded supermajorities in the Iowa Legislature.
But for now, the results are still unofficial.
There are several steps in state law before Iowa certifies its state election results and casts its electoral votes for president and vice president.
Here’s what will happen next.
Nov. 7-12: Special county boards will review provisional ballots
Absentee and Special Voters Precinct Boards in every county will meet to review challenged ballots, as well as write-in votes and ballots that were unreadable by machine tabulators.
The boards are made up of Iowa poll workers chosen by the county auditor.
Those post-election meetings are open to the public, although members of the public may not interfere with the board’s work, including by handing any ballots.
Voters who were challenged because they appeared on Secretary of State Paul Pate’s list of possible noncitizens must present proof of citizenship to the board in order for their ballot to be counted.
A large number of voters on the list are naturalized citizens who are eligible to vote, and some reported being told to vote a provisional ballot on Tuesday even after presenting a U.S. passport.
More:Judge denies request for records over alleged improprieties in Tuesday’s election
Nov. 12-13: Boards of supervisors will certify their county’s election results
County boards of supervisors are required by Iowa law to meet on the first Monday or Tuesday after the election to certify the county’s results.
This year, because Veterans Day falls on Monday, county boards of supervisors must meet either Tuesday or Wednesday.
In Polk County, the board of supervisors will meet Nov. 13 at 9:30 a.m. to approve the results. Dallas County’s supervisors will also meet Nov. 13.
Nov. 18: The deadline for candidates to request a recount
Requests for a recount in an election must be made by 5 p.m. on the third day following the county’s canvass of the election.
For counties that canvass their results on Nov. 12, the deadline to request a recount is Nov. 15. For counties that canvass their results on Nov. 13, the deadline is Nov. 18 (because the third day following the canvass is a Saturday).
Any candidate whose name is printed on the ballot, or who receives write-in votes for the office in question, is allowed to request a recount.
More:US Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks declares victory in 1st District: race not called
Iowa law requires recount boards to conduct their work “as expeditiously as possible.”
Some races this year may be headed for recounts.
Republican U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks leads Democrat Christina Bohannan by about 800 votes in southeast Iowa’s 1st Congressional District.
Miller-Meeks won her first term in Congress after surviving a recount that saw her win election by just six votes.
Seven races for the Iowa Legislature this year are also separated by no more than 1 percentage point. Several of those races could see recounts as well.
More:A big shift right: What 7 graphics tell us about Iowa’s new red wave in the 2024 election
By Dec. 2: Iowa will certify its statewide election results
Iowa’s secretary of state will present the certified votes in each county to a state board of canvassers not later than 27 days after the election.
That deadline this year is Dec. 2.
The state board reviews the results and “if the results are accurately tabulated, the state board shall approve the canvass,” the law states.
The state canvass is the final step in affirming the outcome of every race on the ballot except president and vice president.
Dec. 11: Gov. Kim Reynolds must certify Iowa’s electors
Six days before the Electoral College meets, each state’s governor must submit a “certificate of ascertainment” to the archivist of the United States containing the names of their state’s electors.
Iowa has six electors — equal to the number of senators and representatives the state has in Congress.
Dec. 17: Iowa’s electors will meet to cast their votes for president
By law, the Electoral College meets on the first Tuesday after the second Wednesday in December. This year, that date is Dec. 17.
Iowa’s six electors will meet at the Iowa Capitol to cast their votes for Donald Trump for president and JD Vance for vice president.
Iowa’s electors are bound by law to cast their votes for the presidential ticket that won the popular vote in the state.
Iowa law says if an elector does not mark their ballot for the winning presidential candidate, they will be replaced by a substitute elector.
Electors are typically longtime party activists, selected by members of their party at state party conventions.
Jan. 6: Congress will meet to certify the presidential results
Congress will convene on Jan. 6, 2025, in a joint session to count and certify the electoral votes cast in each state.
Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to preside over the joint session in her role as president of the Senate.
Jan. 20: The new president and vice president are sworn into office
Trump and Vance will be sworn into office as president and vice president at noon on Jan. 20 at the U.S. Capitol.
Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.
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