Iowa sets record for early midterm voting

(AP) - Iowans have set a record for early voting in a midterm election, with numbers in this year's contest topping figures from the 2006 election, Secretary of State Michael Mauro said Friday.

Mauro said 372,778 absentee ballots had been requested, and a total of 295,132 voters had either returned absentee ballots or cast their votes in person early. That number compares to the 242,000 who cast early or absentee ballots in the 2006 election.

Drake University political science professor Dennis Goldford said the numbers indicate interest in the election but also a growing comfort with early voting.

"It works for voters who are chomping at the bit to get on with other things, including getting others out to vote," Goldford said.

One downside of early voting is that voters can't change their minds if there's a late development in a race. That has an impact on both political strategy and advertising, Goldford said.

"It feels a little bit like leaving a football game in the third quarter," he said.

Mauro has predicted that up to 30 percent of the votes cast in this year's election will be absentee or cast before Nov. 2. State law requires that absentee ballots be postmarked by Election Day.

Democrats continue to hold a lead in the early voting contest. Of the absentee and early ballots cast, 130,941 were from Democrats and 112,314 were from Republicans. Another 51,652 came from voters who did not declare a party affiliation.

As of Oct. 1, there were 661,682 registered Democrats in the state, compared to 616,649 registered Republicans. Another 694,229 voters were registered without declaring a party preference.

The Legislature has taken a series of steps in recent years to bolster voter turnout, including allowing voters to register on Election Day. In addition, lawmakers have created multiple ways to cast ballots. Voters can ask that an absentee ballot be mailed to them, or they can stop by their local election office and pick up a ballot.

Voters can also cast ballots at their local election office, and most counties have established satellite voting stations at schools, libraries and other spots, all designed to encourage early voting.

Friday was the deadline for requesting that an absentee ballot be mailed, but those ballots can still be picked up in person at local election offices.