Those who administer Iowa’s elections expect turn-out in Tuesday’s primary to be light, as a lower-than-normal number of absentee ballots have been requested — an indicator of interest in an election. But the leaders of Iowa’s Democratic and Republican parties insist interest in Tuesday’s primaries is high.
Lieutenant Governor Sally Pederson, chair of the Iowa Democratic Party, sees signs of higher-than-normal interest among Democrats. “The governor’s race is very competitive and so I think that’s one place, but also in the first (congressional) district…there is a very competitive race…so I think we’ll have a strong turn-out there,” Pederson says.
Ray Hoffman, a Sioux City businessman who is chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa, agrees turn-out will be heavy in that eastern Iowa congressional district because of the competitive races on both sides of the ticket for the seat that Congressman Jim Nussle is vacating. “The rest of the state will probably be a little bit on the lower side,” Hoffman predicts, although he contends there is some interest in statewide races for Secretary of Agriculture and Secretary of State.
The polls open at seven a.m. on Tuesday and close at nine p.m. Contact your county auditor to find the precinct polling site where you are to cast your ballot.