Publication date: January 23, 2023
Written by: Andrew Welhouse
The Center for Excellence in Polling (CEP) surveyed Iowa voters on a range of election reforms, including measures that state leaders recently put into place and areas that can still be improved, as an important snapshot of voter opinion on election integrity.
Iowans showed strong support for several measures, and a strong appetite for more as policymakers continue to improve confidence in Iowa elections.
Iowans are relatively confident in their elections
When asked how confident they are in the security of elections in Iowa, Iowa voters responded…
88%
… of likely Iowa voters said they were “very confident” (56%) or “somewhat confident” (32%), compared to only 12 percent who said they were “not very confident” (8%) or “not at all confident (4%).
Confidence level varies somewhat by party:
78%
… of Iowa Independents said they were either “very confident” (55%) or “somewhat confident” (23%)—a lower total compared to both Republicans (42% “very confident” and 50% “somewhat confident”) and Democrats (73% “very confident” and 23% “somewhat confident”).
Election integrity laws make a difference
Iowa currently has several election integrity measures on the books. Two of those laws were given high marks from the public:
75%
… of Iowa voters said that requiring a valid, government-issued ID for in-person voting increases their confidence in Iowa’s elections, including 91 percent of Republicans, 71 percent of Independents, and 61 percent of Democrats.
50%
… of Iowa voters reported increased confidence in Iowa’s elections from a new law that prohibits government offices that oversee elections from accepting third-party funding from private individuals and special interest groups, including 51 percent of Republicans and 50 percent of Independents. Only 21 percent of voters said the measure decreased their confidence and 29 percent were unsure.
Additional reforms have broad support
72%
… of Iowa voters support “allowing both the state attorney general and local prosecutors to have the authority to prosecute election-related crimes,” including 85 percent of Republicans, 70 percent of Independents, and 61 percent of Democrats.
70%
… of Iowa voters support “requiring a bipartisan team comprised of one member from each political party to escort ballots whenever they are transported from one location to another,” including 78 percent of Republicans and 73 percent of Democrats.