Iowa
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Iowa on Election Day
WASHINGTON (AP) — Iowa has a long history as a presidential battleground state, but when voters cast their ballots in the general election on Nov. 5, it’s the races further down the ballot that may get the most attention.
Voters will decide competitive U.S. House contests that could decide control of the chamber, as well as state legislative races that could hand Iowa Republicans a veto-proof supermajority. They’ll also consider statewide ballot measures that would require citizenship to vote and modify the line of succession for governor.
Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump will compete for the state’s six electoral votes. Iowa had among the narrowest presidential vote margins in the 2000 and 2004 elections, when it voted for Democrat Al Gore and then for Republican George W. Bush. Barack Obama was the last Democrat to win the state in 2008 and 2012.
Changes in the state’s political leanings since then may have pushed Iowa further out of reach for Democrats. The GOP holds all of Iowa’s congressional seats, the governorship, most statewide offices and lopsided majorities in the state Legislature. Trump won Iowa by comfortable margins in 2016 and 2020. This year, neither candidate nor their running mates have visited Iowa since becoming their parties’ nominees.
In the race for the closely divided U.S. House, two Republican incumbents face competitive reelection bids. In the 1st District, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks faces a rematch with Democrat Christina Bohannan, a former state senator who lost to Miller-Meeks in 2022 by a 7-point margin. In the 3rd District, Republican Rep. Zach Nunn seeks a second term against Democrat Lanon Baccam, a former USDA administrator. Trump won the Des Moines-area district by a margin of just 0.4 percentage points. Democrats need a net gain of only a few seats to regain control of the U.S. House.
In the state Legislature, Republicans already enjoy large majorities in both chambers and need to pick up a few more state House seats for a supermajority, although they already control the governorship.
Voters will also consider two constitutional amendments. One would prohibit state and local governments from allowing non-citizens to vote and would allow 17-year-olds to vote in primary elections if they will be 18 by the general election. The other measure would clarify the line of succession if the state’s lieutenant governor were to become governor.
The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it has determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.
Here’s a look at what to expect in the 2024 election in Iowa:
Election Day
Nov. 5.
Poll closing time
9 p.m. ET.
Presidential electoral votes
6 awarded to statewide winner.
Key races and candidates
President: Harris (D) vs. Trump (R) vs. Chase Oliver (Libertarian) vs. Claudia De la Cruz (Party for Socialism and Liberation) vs. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (We The People) and two others.
1st Congressional District: Rep. Miller-Meeks (R) vs. Bohannan (D).
3rd Congressional District: Rep. Nunn (R) vs. Baccam (D).
Ballot measures: Amendment 1 (require citizenship to vote and modify voting age).
Other races of interest
U.S. House, state Senate, state House and Amendment 2 (modify gubernatorial succession).
Past presidential results
2020: Trump (R) 53%, Biden (D) 45%, AP race call: Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020, 12:21 p.m. ET.
Voter registration and turnout
Registered voters: 2,223,492 (as of Sep. 3, 2024).
Voter turnout in 2020 presidential election: 74% of registered voters.
Pre-Election Day voting
Votes cast before Election Day 2020: about 59% of the total vote.
Votes cast before Election Day 2022: about 30% of the total vote.
Votes cast before Election Day 2024: See AP Advance Vote tracker.
How long does vote-counting take?
First votes reported, Nov. 3, 2020: 10:11 p.m. ET.
By midnight ET: about 82% of total votes cast were reported.
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Breaux reported from Kansas City, Missouri. Associated Press writers Hannah Fingerhut contributed to this report.
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Read more about how U.S. elections work at Explaining Election 2024, a series from The Associated Press aimed at helping make sense of the American democracy. The AP receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Iowa
Iowa Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 Midday results for May 8, 2026
The Iowa Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big with rewards ranging from $1,000 to millions. The most an Iowan has ever won from playing the lottery was $343 million in 2018 off the Powerball.
Don’t miss out on the winnings. Here’s a look at Friday, May 8, 2026, winning numbers for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 8 drawing
37-47-49-51-58, Mega Ball: 16
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick-3 numbers from May 8 drawing
Midday: 0-5-8
Evening: 9-9-2
Check Pick-3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick-4 numbers from May 8 drawing
Midday: 0-2-7-3
Evening: 0-7-0-6
Check Pick-4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 8 drawing
14-16-21-43-51, Bonus: 03
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Iowa Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 3 (Day): 12:20 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 3 (Evening): 10:00 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 4 (Day): 12:20 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 4 (Evening): 10:00 p.m. CT daily.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Iowa editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Iowa
Iowa SNAP restrictions raise concerns over confusion, impact on summer food aid
IOWA — Iowa’s new restrictions on SNAP benefits are drawing concern from advocates who say the changes could make it harder for families to buy food and could put future summer assistance for children at risk.
The state’s SNAP waiver took effect January 1, 2026, limiting what items can be purchased based on Iowa’s taxable food list. While that includes widely discussed restrictions on soda and candy, the policy also affects certain prepared foods, creating confusion for shoppers.
“Something as small as whether or not a utensil is included in a food item actually impacts whether or not you can continue to purchase that item using your SNAP benefits,” Paige Chickering, Iowa State Manager for the Save the Children Action Network, said.
Advocates say the rules can be difficult to navigate, especially for people relying on quick meals. Items like prepackaged salads or sandwiches may or may not qualify depending on how they are packaged.
At the same time, new legislation slated for the next session at the statehouse could make those restrictions more permanent by requiring Iowa to continue seeking federal approval for the waiver.
That’s raising additional concerns about the future of Summer EBT, also known as “Sun Bucks,” which provides food assistance to children when school is out.
“This makes that food assistance dependent on a decision made in Washington, D.C. that is just arbitrary and not really dependent on the needs of Iowans and Iowa children,” Chickering said.
The program is expected to help around 220,000 children in Iowa during the summer months. Advocates worry leaving it up to federal approval of the waiver could jeopardize that support if policies change. They also point out that SNAP plays a major role in addressing hunger compared to other resources.
“We know that for every one meal provided by an emergency feeding organization, SNAP provides nine,” Chickering said.
Advocates say they support improving nutrition but argue there are more effective, evidence based ways to do that without limiting food choices.
For now, organizations across Iowa are working to help families understand the new rules, while also pushing lawmakers to reconsider how the policy could impact food access moving forward.
Iowa
Harkin backs Turek for Iowa Senate
Scoop: Iowa Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek snagged a major endorsement for his Senate bid from former Sen. Tom Harkin.
Harkin, who retired in 2015, was the last Democrat to represent Iowa in the Senate. Turek is locked in a competitive primary with state Sen. Zach Wahls in a race that has divided major factions of the Democratic Party.
“I have a pretty good idea of what it takes to win an election, and then to faithfully represent all Iowans, not just those who voted for you,” Harkin said in his endorsement. “That’s why I’m supporting Josh Turek.”
Harkin served in the Senate for 30 years and is the author of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Turek, who was born with spina bifida and uses a wheelchair, was 11 when the ADA was enacted.
Harkin is a widely sought after endorsement in the Hawkeye State. His decision to wade into the race is notable because Harkin also has a relationship with Wahls.
Wahls called Harkin “one of my closest political mentors,” and said the former senator officiated his wedding in 2021.
Iowa’s Senate primaries are June 2.
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