Seventy percent of Iowans who voted early this year did so in-person, either at a satellite voting location or in their county auditor’s office. Secretary of State Paul Pate says some voters waited in long lines to vote early — and there may be options to ease that congestion in 2028.
Pate cites Polk County as an example, which has 170 voting precincts.
Over 70-thousand people voted early in Polk County, which includes Des Moines, and nearly 40-thousand voted in Linn County, where Cedar Rapids and Marion are located. In total, nearly half a MILLION Iowans cast absentee ballots in the 20-day early voting period before Election Day. About 45 percent were Democrats, 34 percent were Republicans and 20 percent were independents.
