Joe Biden is tied with Donald Trump in a new Iowa Poll published by the Des Moines Register on Tuesday. Both candidates were supported by 47 percent of likely voters, with 4 percent telling pollsters they would vote for another candidate and 3 percent uncertain of how they will vote. Trump carried Iowa easily in […]
2020 Elections
Posted inCommunity/News
Grassley says ‘the American people’s will’ is clear and Trump can fill SCOTUS vacancy before election; Ernst agrees
Sen. Chuck Grassley said on Monday he will support President Trump’s effort to confirm a new U.S, Supreme Court justice as quickly as possible. In a statement first published by the Des Moines Register, Grassley said there is no ambiguity “about the American people’s will for the direction of the Supreme Court.” Grassley said “ambiguity” […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Ernst and Grassley quiet on replacing Justice Ginsberg, loud about dead ‘pidgin,’ email gaffe
Update: At approximately 5 p.m. on Monday, the Des Moines Register published a statement from Sen. Grassley in which he explains he is not opposed to the Senate evaluating and voting on a Trump nominee before Election Day, citing differences between 2016 and 2020. Sen. Ernst also released a statement confirming she, too, would “carry […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Judge invalidates all absentee ballot request forms mailed to voters by Johnson County Auditor
The pre-filled absentee ballot requests sent to all active voters in Johnson County are invalid, District Court Judge Ian Thornhill ruled in a decision released on Monday morning. The ruling came in a lawsuit brought by the Trump campaign, the Republican Party of Iowa and two national Republican campaign committees. Johnson County Auditor Travis Weipert […]
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Iowa Secretary of State limits use of drop boxes for absentee ballots, leaving Linn County with only one
County auditors in Iowa are allowed to collect absentee ballots using drop boxes, as long as they follow the new guidance from the Secretary of State’s Office that limits where those drop boxes can be placed. The Secretary of State’s Office previously said Iowa law does not allow county auditors to use drop boxes to […]
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Judge orders Linn County to void 50,000 absentee ballot request forms
A district court judge has ordered Linn County Auditor Joel Miller to nullify about 50,000 absentee ballot request forms, siding with Republican groups that alleged Miller overstepped his authority by sending out request forms with pre-filled voter information. The Trump campaign, Republican Party of Iowa and two national Republican campaign committees filed three separate lawsuits […]
Posted inCOVID-19
Local and state leaders in Iowa continue to clash over use of absentee ballot drop boxes, ballot request forms
The Iowa Secretary of State’s Office is saying Iowa law does not allow county auditors to use drop boxes for absentee ballots, but Linn County is pushing back. Kevin Hall, a spokesperson for Secretary of State Paul Pate, told the Des Moines Register that “auditors do not have authority to establish a ballot drop box […]
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Gov. Reynolds will speak to the Republican National Convention on Tuesday
Gov. Kim Reynolds will be a featured speaker at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday night. The governor has not indicated what she will be talking about, but all the convention speakers are expected to use their time to praise President Trump. Each night of the RNC is themed, and Tuesday’s theme is “Land of […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Bohannan defeats a 20-year incumbent, Kunkel wins in a landslide and Greenfield carries Johnson and Linn Counties in her primary victory
Christina Bohannan, a first-time candidate for public office, defeated long-time incumbent Vicki Lensing in the Democratic primary for Iowa House District 85. Bohannan, who is the Lauridsen Family Fellow in Law and director of the Master of Studies in Law program at the University of Iowa School of Law, won with 66 percent of the […]
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Deadline for requesting absentee ballots by mail is this week
Friday is the last day to request an absentee ballot by mail for the June 2 primary. The ballot requests must be received by the auditor’s office in the county where the voter lives by 5 p.m. on May 22. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Iowa Secretary of State’s office mailed absentee ballot […]
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Meet the Democrats vying for Joni Ernst’s Senate seat
Four Democrats are running for their party’s nomination for the U.S. Senate. Attorney Kimberly Graham was the first candidate to enter the race that will determine which Democrat faces incumbent Sen. Joni Ernst in the November general election. She was followed by insurance company owner Eddie Mauro, real estate executive Theresa Greenfield and retired Navy […]
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District 85 candidates Vicki Lensing and Christina Bohannan will discuss the issues on Thursday in a League of Women Voter’s forum
On Thursday afternoon, the Johnson County League of Women Voters is holding its third virtual forum featuring candidates in the June 2 primary. This third forum will feature the two Democrats running in Iowa House of Representative District 85, Christina Bohannan and Vicki Lensing. Lensing, co-owner of Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service, has represented the […]
