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Elections

Election and voting resources from state, U.S. and world organizations.

Where are you on the political spectrum?

Vote Easy Tool from Vote Smart

Vote Easy Find your political soulmate

"Just click on a candidate’s sign to see their positions on key issues OR compare your issue positions to those of all the candidates. Additional questions you answer will be averaged in to find the candidate most like you."

Ballotpedia

ballotpedia

Be an informed voter.
Enter your address.
See your sample ballot.
Do any research you need to do.
Be prepared to vote.

Judges in Iowa

Government Information Librarian

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Brett Cloyd
Contact:
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319.335.5743
Website

Choosing Who to Vote For

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Who's on the Ballot?

In addition to voting for the President and Vice-President and members of Congress, voters have several other choices to make when they cast their ballot. This includes statewide and local positions as well as ballot initiatives. For instance, here is a list of what voters in Johnson County, Iowa will choose from this year (Johnson County Auditor's Office):

  • President and Vice President
  • US Senator 
  • US Representative, 2nd District 
  • State Representatives: Districts 73, 74, 77, 85, 86
  • County Board of Supervisors: three seats 
  • County Sheriff 
  • County Auditor 
  • County Agricultural Extension Council: four seats
  • Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioner: three seats
  • Township officials: two trustees in all rural townships.
  • Judicial retention (yes or no for judges to remain in office)
  • Iowa constitutional convention question

To see what will be on your ballot when you go to vote, Ballotpedia.org has a useful tool that allows you to plug in your address and view national and statewide candidates and issues up for vote (Sample Ballot Lookup).

Information on what will be on the ballot for local elections is a little more sporadic. A useful place to start is by checking the website of your state's Secretary of State office or of your local County Auditor's office.

Deciding How to Vote

Once you've determined what your options will be when you go to vote, you'll need to decide who (and what) to vote for. There are a number of ways that you can make this choice and ultimately how you decide to vote is up to you. To help with this decision-making process we've gathered a collection of resources to help you get a better sense of the positions that candidates and parties advocate for.

Issues-Based Websites

Political Parties and Their Platforms

Debates & Candidate Forums

Presidential & Vice Presidential Debates

 

Iowa U.S. Senate Debates

 

U.S. Congress Debates

 

Local Candidates