With 70 percent of precincts reporting, Iowans on track to surpass 2016 voter turnout

With 70 percent of Iowa’s votes counted, it appears Iowans are on track to surpass the voter turnout in 2016 and are inching closer to 2020’s record.

According to unofficial election results reported by the Iowa Secretary of State, 1.58 million Iowans have voted in the election — the same number as in 2016. The 2020 election saw 1.69 million ballots cast.

Vote totals from six of Iowa’s 99 Iowa counties had not been reported as of 1 a.m. Wednesday.

About 2.25 million Iowans were registered to vote Tuesday.

Voter turnout was down in Linn County this year, with 123,663 residents voting Tuesday compared to 128,036 in 2020 and 118,116 in 2016.

In Johnson County, 87,012 residents cast ballots in this election, an increase from 83,198 in 2020 and 77,476 in 2016.

As of 7 a.m. Tuesday, 675,464 Iowans had voted absentee, a decline from the 1 million absentee ballots cast in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s absentee total is slightly higher than 2016 when 647,153 Iowans voted absentee.

Results reported by the Secretary of State are unofficial until they are certified by county supervisors and the Iowa State Boards of Canvassers.

Comments: emily.hawk@thegazette.com