Live updates: Twitter reactions as Election Day unfolds in Iowa
Tracking updates from The Daily Iowan’s reporters across the state, as well as what politicians and community leaders are saying on social media.
A sign marking a polling location is seen outside the North Liberty Community Center in North Liberty on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. In 2016, Johnson County was one of six Iowa counties to vote for a democratic presidential candidate, according to the New York Times.
November 3, 2020
Election Day has arrived and as races unfold in Iowa and across the country, social media acts as an outlet for instant reactions.
The Daily Iowan is tracking updates from our reporters across the state, as well as what politicians and community leaders are saying on social media.
All day — Daily Iowan reporters at polling locations across the state
Since Tuesday morning, reporters from the DI have been reporting from polling locations across the state. Follow our reporters on Twitter for more updates.
Scenes from Wilton, IA this morning as patrons vote on #ElectionDay Day.
📸 rural voting for @TheDailyIowan with @clairebenson_ pic.twitter.com/e4hQ1zPoFv— Kate Heston (@kateheston4) November 3, 2020
Polls at Northwest Junior High School in Corallville are near empty right now. Poll workers said they had a long line at 7 a.m. but since have been steady. #Election2020 #ELECTIONDAY #IA @TheDailyIowan pic.twitter.com/jM0spJmYkd
— Mary Hartel (@HartelMary) November 3, 2020
Good morning and happy #ElectionDay. Today I am covering Rita Hart, the Democratic candidate in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, for @TheDailyIowan. Here is a brief thread with what you need to know about the #IA02 seat.
— Natalie Dunlap (@natd_lap) November 3, 2020
7:13am 20 voters in line at polling place I04 in Uiowa Visual Arts West#election2020 @TheDailyIowan #election2020DI #IowaCity pic.twitter.com/oY3tKZEkRf
— Clinton Garlock (@clintongarlock) November 3, 2020
A bit more cramped here at Iowa City precinct 13 in the lobby of West High, but everyone’s still wearing their masks #election2020 @TheDailyIowan #electionday pic.twitter.com/UAiGDsHPb6
— Clinton Garlock (@clintongarlock) November 3, 2020
As the sun sets on Carver-Hawkeye Arena in #IowaCity voters slowly stream into the polls#ElectionDay #Election2020 @TheDailyIowan pic.twitter.com/Ksf4xErMFe
— Clinton Garlock (@clintongarlock) November 3, 2020
I’m in Wilton, Iowa this morning at the town’s community center covering the Iowa HOR election for District 73 between incumbent Bobby Kaufmann (R) and retired Johnson County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek (D) for @TheDailyIowan. Follow along with this thread for updates⬇️
— Claire Benson (@clairebenson_) November 3, 2020
Precinct 11 has a bit of a line at the CRWC. The precinct has been busy off and on since 5 p.m. pic.twitter.com/b31dTw5tnU
— eleanor (@eleanormhilde) November 4, 2020
Photos from the polls today in Johnson County https://t.co/iCU5df5Qoj pic.twitter.com/IvROQaJ2wr
— The Daily Iowan (@TheDailyIowan) November 3, 2020
6:26 p.m. — Johnson County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections reports Johnson County has hit turnout record
Travis Weipert tweeted that Johnson County has unofficially set an all-time voting turnout record.
🎇IT’S AN (UNOFFICIAL) NEW RECORD!🎇
Based on our returned absentee ballots (60,843) and our 6PM Election Day numbers (21,203), we have now set an all-time turnout record at 82,046! #JoCoVotes20 pic.twitter.com/apw9mAPrJ2
— Travis Weipert (@jcauditor) November 4, 2020
For context, here are Johnson County voting numbers from 2016.
In 2016, 35,681 people voted on Election Day in Johnson County, not including those who voted absentee. For total voter turnout in 2016, 69.62 percent of registered voters turned out for the election. The amount of active registered voters in Johnson County in 2016 was 92,387.
— Rachel (@rachel_schilke) November 3, 2020
What voters are saying to DI reporters
DI reporters have interviewed several voters at polling locations across the state. Here’s what the voters have said about their rational for voting for the candidates they did and what their voting experiences were like.
“Mostly to settle for the lesser of two evils” said Laxmi Annapureddy about why she voted for Joe Biden. She is a junior studying neurscience and journalism @uiowa#ElectionDay #Election2020 @TheDailyIowan pic.twitter.com/0cR8mLU0Gg
— Clinton Garlock (@clintongarlock) November 3, 2020
Joe Floss is a 50 year old Coralville resident who voted early at the Iowa City Public Library on Thursday. Floss voted down the ballot for Democrats, because he finds the handling of the Supreme Court in the last several years “problematic.”
— Natalie Dunlap (@natd_lap) November 4, 2020
Cruz voted blue because Biden aligns closest to his views, specifically on student debt relief. “That resonates to me very profoundly because I’m a college student,” said Cruz
— Clinton Garlock (@clintongarlock) November 3, 2020
“There’s obviously a lot of political tension between both parties and I just wanted to exercise my right, because usually in IL, it’s not a competition, it’s almost always Democrat so I wanted to exercise my right out here and actually, possibly affect something,” Drazner said.
— Natalie Dunlap (@natd_lap) November 4, 2020
Just spoke with a University of Iowa senior who was sitting outside his polling place for at least a half hour, contemplating who to vote for. He said he voted for Jo Jorgensen and for independent candidates down the ballot. #ElectionNight #Elections2020 @TheDailyIowan
— eleanor (@eleanormhilde) November 4, 2020
“I think it’s a great idea that he wants to kind of change things in America and get us back to what’s made us really good …” Sheets said of Trump. “He kind of floats the line between traditional Republican values, but also looks out for, I think, the working man.”
— Natalie Dunlap (@natd_lap) November 4, 2020
Lisa said her younger daughter, wishes she could have joined them. “My younger daughter is 16, and she’s feeling a little left out. I think she had a good point, it’s her generation that this is going to affect so it’s been great to have conversations.”
— Natalie Dunlap (@natd_lap) November 4, 2020
UI student Mauricio Angelito wasn’t originally planning to vote, but he was motivated to vote because of Tippie Senate’s involvement with the @HawktheVote 90% challenge. “I thought it’d be kind of hypocritical for me to tell other people to vote, but not vote myself.”
— Natalie Dunlap (@natd_lap) November 4, 2020
Wilton resident Randall Blundy (68) said during this historic election, he was able to vote for many issues he is passionate about. Blundy said he voted for Kaufmann, as he has known Kaufmann and his family for many years. Putting it simply, Blundy said, “I believe in Bobby.” pic.twitter.com/DsBHptkrU1
— Claire Benson (@clairebenson_) November 3, 2020
9:00 p.m. — Polls close in Iowa, though those already in line still have the opportunity to vote
At the same time the polls closed, Weipert tweeted out the absentee ballot results for Johnson County.
ABSENTEE RESULTS https://t.co/lFb8DPrZor
— Travis Weipert (@jcauditor) November 4, 2020
62.25 percent of registered voters in Johnson County (97,738) voted absentee. 46,868 people voted Democrat Theresa Greenfield for U.S. Senator (80 percent) and 11,773 voted Republican Joni Ernst. In the U.S. representative 2nd district, Rita Hart leads in absentee ballots. https://t.co/X9FVLdk5el
— Rachel (@rachel_schilke) November 4, 2020
9:28 p.m. — Weipert tweets out the preliminary results from all 58 Johnson County precincts
There was an 86.05 percent voter turnout in Johnson County according to these results.
ALL 58 PRECINCTS https://t.co/lFb8DPrZor
— Travis Weipert (@jcauditor) November 4, 2020
Republican Bobby Kaufmann solidifies fourth term in the Iowa House
‼️With results from all three counties in, Kaufmann has unofficially won the race for District 73, gaining him reelection into the Iowa House for his fourth term. @IowaSOS reports Kaufmann received 60.19% of the votes, with Pulkrabek receiving the other 39.71%.‼️
— Claire Benson (@clairebenson_) November 4, 2020
Iowa House Rep. Republican Bobby Kaufmann was reelected over Johnson County Sheriff Democrat Lonny Pulkrabek, solidifying his fourth term in the Iowa House of Representatives and his status as the only remaining Republican state lawmaker in Johnson County.https://t.co/08AkvEJRq5
— The Daily Iowan (@TheDailyIowan) November 4, 2020
11:30 p.m. — President Donald Trump wins Iowa
Trump was winning Iowa at 11:21 p.m. with 52 percent of the vote when the Associated Press called the state for him over his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden. Biden won 45 percent, with 99 percent of precincts reporting.
BREAKING: Donald Trump wins Iowa. #APracecall at 11:21 p.m. CST. #Election2020 https://t.co/lGfinjTqT4
— AP Politics (@AP_Politics) November 4, 2020
President @RealDonaldTrump wins IOWA!!!!! #FourMoreYears pic.twitter.com/gfdTlVCBsQ
— Kim Reynolds (@KimReynoldsIA) November 4, 2020
Randy Feenstra keeps 4th Congressional District red
Republican Randy Feenstra beat out Democratic candidate J.D. Scholten, replacing Steve King as 4th District representative.
Together, we delivered. Thank you #IA04!#Feenstradelivers pic.twitter.com/dDcLpkVP1A
— Randy Feenstra (@RandyFeenstra) November 4, 2020
Coming up short is always hard whether it’s baseball or an election. Thank you to everyone who has shared a personal story with us, welcomed us into their business or on their farm, donated $5 or their time to help us fight for change. The fight doesn’t stop here. 🙏🙏🙏
— J.D. Scholten (@JDScholten) November 4, 2020
12:20 p.m. — Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate tweets that the Hawkeye State had a record voter turnout
We have set a new all-time turnout record for an Iowa general election. Ballots are still coming in but we have shattered the previous record of 1,589,951 set in 2012 by at least 80,000 votes. Well done Iowans! #BeAVoter pic.twitter.com/tThwyyfwRo
— Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate (@IowaSOS) November 4, 2020
Iowa made a record-breaking turnout in the 2020 Election, with over 1.6 million Iowans voting. This surpasses the record set in 2012 when over 1,589,000 voters turned out.https://t.co/kVvpU3anQd
— The Daily Iowan (@TheDailyIowan) November 4, 2020
Joni Ernst defeats Theresa Greenfield in race for Iowa U.S. Senate seat
After a competitive and expensive race, Ernst will reprise her role in the Senate for another six years.
Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, defeated Democratic candidate Theresa Greenfield for a seat in the U.S. Senate in Tuesday’s general election.https://t.co/4AXZXqS0C7
— The Daily Iowan (@TheDailyIowan) November 4, 2020
As #Election2020 comes to a close, the Iowa Senate race results come in with Ernst having 51 percent of the vote and Greenfield having 45 percent of the vote as off 11:50 pm.
— Lauren White (@laurennrachell) November 4, 2020
Folks, it’s been a long night and unfortunately we came up short. I couldn’t be more proud of the work we all put in. This race was never about me — it’s about creating a future that works for all Iowans. And that fight doesn’t stop tonight. Thank you.
— Theresa Greenfield (@GreenfieldIowa) November 4, 2020
Ashley Hinson, a Republican candidate in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, unseated incumbent U.S. Rep. Abby Fikenauer on Tuesday night
Republican Ashley Hinson unseated incumbent U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer on Tuesday night in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, flipping the district red after the Democrat’s two-year hold. Hinson claimed 51.25 percent of votes to win the election, while Abby Finkenauer won 48.65 percent of the votes, according to unofficial results.
I am honored to be the Congresswoman elect for Iowa’s first district! In Congress I will always remember that the hard working taxpayers are the folks that elected me, and they are my bosses. #IA01 https://t.co/fdPQ5E9x6t
— Ashley Hinson (@hinsonashley) November 4, 2020
This is a developing story that will continue to be updated. Check back for more information.