We’re less than one month out from Election Day and though it is not a national holiday (yet!), it’s a Very Big Day for all of us! As a reminder, this year is a Presidential or General Election year and while we won’t go so far as to say it’s the most consequential/unprecedented/insert whatever superlative here, we will emphasize there are conversations at the national level happening about issues facing the electorate (that’s us) that have massive consequences. Your vote is vital in determining which individuals will ultimately be making decisions on issues that impact your life. 

There’s a lot of noise and drama (President Biden dropping out) and this year in particular, political violence (two assassination attempts of former President Trump) around elections, which can be both overwhelming and exhausting. We’re here to help you feel best prepared to vote for the individuals that align closest with your values.

As a heads up, we’re including quite a few links here and we’d encourage you to take some time to read through each candidate’s page to learn more about their story, where they stand on issues, and maybe donate/volunteer as part of a campaign (campaigns rely on volunteers and it’s never too late to get involved!).

Written by Sidney Pezley, DSMG Contributor

What’s On The Ballot?

For Everyone! 

As with each election regardless of the year or ballot there are a few races on everyone’s ballot no matter where in the state of Iowa you live – this year that is true for only one race – President and Vice President of the United States.

While you’ll see a list of seven tickets (President and Vice Presidential candidate combos) on your ballot the two at the top are for the two primary parties – the Democrats and the Republicans, and these two tickets are who we will be highlighting. Because of filing dates and deadlines sometimes candidates appear on the ballot though they are no longer running- Robert F. Kennedy Jr., for example. 

The two primary Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates are: 

  • Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz – Democratic Party 
  • Former President Donald Trump and Ohio Senator JD Vance – Republican Party

For this election cycle there was one debate between the two Presidential candidates on Tuesday, September 10, catch the video here. And one debate between the two Vice Presidential candidates on Tuesday, October 1, catch that video here. While debates are not typically the forum in which each candidate’s policy platforms are outlined, they are a good opportunity to see the candidates in action and under pressure. 

(As a reminder, at the federal level Iowa (and every state) has two Senators representing the state in the Senate. Each Senator serves six years before facing re-election. Senator Grassley was re-elected in 2022 and Senator Ernst will be up for re-election in 2026.) 

Ballot Measures

I know we said only one type of race appears on everyone’s ballot which is technically true. There are two other measures that will appear on everyone in the State of Iowa’s ballots: 

  1. Judicial Retention – these are not races, rather the public’s opportunity to retain or dismiss judges who already hold the position, and 
  2. Constitutional Amendments – an opportunity for the public to vote yes or no to add language to the State of Iowa’s Constitution. 

Judicial Retention 

  • Iowa Supreme Court (This individual is up for retention in order to remain on the bench, all Iowa Supreme Court Judges must be retained by the public in general elections. Additionally, all Supreme Court seats are inherently and intentionally nonpartisan.)
  • Iowa Court of Appeals (As with the Supreme Court seats, these judges must be retained to remain in their positions. Additionally, they are also nonpartisan.)

Constitutional AmendmentThis year, there will be two proposed Constitutional Amendments on the ballot. Voting “Yes” votes to add the proposed language to the Constitution for the State and voting “No” votes to decline adding the language to the Constitution. Below are the two proposed measures you’ll see. Read more about them here

  • Constitutional Amendment 1 – States that only U.S. citizens aged 18 or older and who meet state and county residency requirements may vote in all elections. Also allows, that 17 year olds who will be 18 by the date of the General Election may participate in the primary process. 
  • Constitutional Amendment 2 – In the event that the governor of the State of Iowa is unable to serve as governor due to a temporary/permanent disability, resignation, or death the lieutenant governor (or in an election year, the lieutenant governor-elect) will act as serving governor.

Localized Races 

In addition to the above races (which will absolutely be on your ballot no matter where you live), we’ll also have localized races on our ballots! I know, it’s more people to know and learn about but we’ve got some of those races outlined for you here.  

US House– These are Iowa’s Representatives to the United States House. There are four of them in the state of Iowa and all four are up for re-election every two years. The one you see on your ballot will depend on where you live (pst, your map is below! Pulled straight from the Iowa Legislature website)! Those four races and their districts are outlined below. 

State Senators and Representatives – These individuals represent Iowans in Des Moines at the Statehouse. The individuals on your ballot are extremely localized. I recommend you check out what your ballot will look like based on where you live at the Secretary of State’s website or using Vote411 here.

County Offices – There are some super local seats that may be up for election based on your county and the city in which you live. You can check out your County website or look it up on the Secretary of State’s website listed above! 

District Judges – These are judges within your local district that are seeking to serve in various judgeship positions. 

That was a lot of information (and even more links). I get that it can seem like a lot BUT start small, read about the big races and familiarize yourself with the candidates and slowly work your way to the more local folks you’ll be seeing on your ballot. Maybe even check out your local party affiliation group (like the Polk County Democrats and Polk County Republicans) who will all be holding events with many of these candidates leading up to November’s election. 

Ultimately, it’s important you vote. Participating in the election process is absolutely vital to its survival and we all need to be part of it so our government is a true representation of the people it serves. So, do some reading and mark your calendars – November 5th will be here before we know it!