Poll results indicate Iowa's rural voters say the economy, jobs, and inflation top the list of critical issues for them in tomorrow's election.

Thirty-seven percent of Iowa's population lives in rural areas. Nearly 400,000 Iowans have already cast ballots, and the rural vote could help determine the outcome of the presidential election in Iowa.

Rural Democracy Initiative's Executive Director Sarah Jaynes said rural voters want elected leaders to make lowering costs and increasing wages for working people a priority - not reducing taxes for wealthy people or deregulating corporations.

"They're very focused on working people as kind of the heroes of the economy, and concerns that impact working-class people," said Jaynes. "Rural people and smalltown folks are more likely to be working class. About 70% of rural folks are working class."

The Rural Democracy Initiative poll also found nearly eight in ten rural voters say they are against banning abortion - similar to numbers in March.

Jaynes said aside from high-profile issues like abortion and inflation, rural Iowa voters support candidates who will focus on policies that support local workers.

"People want to make sure that they have the tools and the opportunities to create a good life for themselves and their families," said Jaynes. "And that shows up in their support for child care and health care."

Other recent polls show Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump in a dead heat in the presidential race.

As results continue to come into focus post-Election Day, factors like the youth vote are expected to be scrutinized.

Experts said it is important to keep historical connections in mind and to avoid finger-pointing. Leading up to Tuesday's vote, election forecasters tried to get a better reading of the enthusiasm level among voters under 30. However, some analysts said it is difficult to get an accurate reading of the subgroup.

Mindy Romero, director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the University of Southern California, said even if the final results show a stronger turnout among young voters, it is still a demographic which tends to be overlooked in the political process.

"One of the big reasons, not the only one, is because we have what I call an 'inequitable outreach landscape,'" Romero emphasized.

She explained it is the case when a young voter who feels ignored by campaigns and outreach groups tries on their own to become more informed and runs into information gaps. Meanwhile, Romero and other experts said it would not be surprising to see the outcome of the presidential vote slowed by potential lawsuits.

Romero stressed another noteworthy aspect is in the presidential race, Vice President Kamala Harris focused on reproductive rights but not so much on her own gender. She suggests it is still likely a tricky spot in trying to appeal to centrists and voters from the opposing party.

"An appeal based on gender doesn't always work for Republican voters, when you would hope that across party lines -- Republican or Democrat -- it would be an exciting thing at least to consider," Romero asserted. "The first female president."

Romero also expects more follow-ups to the reported bomb threats called into voting sites, namely in Georgia, with officials there citing Russia as the culprit. She added such events can have a chilling effect on voters who had to leave and were later informed the all-clear was given, although it can easily make someone not feel safe and not return to cast their ballot.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.


get more stories like this via email

Although Florida was not considered a swing state this year's election, its diverse demographics reflect national trends, and political observers are watching to see how the trends may have affected the turnout and the results.

Sharon Austin, professor of political science at the University of Florida, said while most of Florida's election outcomes might be predictable, the state's unique demographics offer insights into voter behavior across the country, especially in understanding the diversity within each racial and ethnic group.

"For example, when you say 'Hispanic and Latino,' you have Cuban Americans in South Florida who, in some cases, tend to trend Republican, although many of them are Democrats as well," Austin explained. "But you also have the Puerto Rican population in Central Florida, which tends to trend Democratic."

Austin noted there are unique dynamics within the African American voter base, which includes a large Caribbean demographic. She cautioned against assumptions Vice President Kamala Harris will automatically get significant support from voters of color. She added observers will be looking closely at how many Black Latino and Asian American voters support the Trump campaign, as well as the turnout within the LGBTQ+ community.

Postelection analysis will be key in testing long-held assumptions about diverse groups. Austin highlighted what she called a significant "generation gap" in voter enthusiasm. She is closely watching the election results between younger and older voters, especially in Florida, famously known for its retirement communities.

"If so, to what extent are those differences? Are there extreme differences, in the sense that older voters, the overwhelming majority of them are going to vote for Trump; younger voters, the overwhelming majority of them are going to vote for Harris? Is that what we are going to see in this election cycle?" Austin questioned.

Looking ahead, Austin believes Florida's evolving voter demographics will continue to reshape its political landscape in nuanced ways. She predicted the state's internal dynamics will be an ongoing study in how traditional voting blocs adapt within a changing political environment.


get more stories like this via email

The brisk pace of voting continued on Election Day, and Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson expects the battleground state to shatter a 64-year-old record of more than 70% voter participation this year.

Michigan voters had already cast more than 1.5 million ballots by Oct. 22, and more than 3.2 million by this week.

Debra Cleaver, founder and CEO of VoteAmerica, believes the widespread use of absentee voting in 2020 during the pandemic has significantly contributed to the higher participation being seen this year.

"You have all these Americans receiving their ballot in the mail for the first time, and realizing how convenient it was," Cleaver observed. "We're just seeing a lot of interesting things going on in Michigan."

Cleaver added the early voting numbers in Michigan include both the people voting by mail and those who voted early.

Cleaver pointed out another driving factor in this year's high voter turnout is the surge in college students casting their ballots. At the University of Michigan's Ann Arbor campus, student voting rates jumped from 44% in 2012 to 78% in 2020, and pollsters expect the numbers to climb even higher this year. Cleaver noted she is not surprised at the rise in student engagement.

"I think it's because people were so surprised at the rate at which college students voted in 2020," Cleaver emphasized. "Politicians from both sides of the aisle actually started investing just a little bit more time, a little bit more money, in reaching these people."

Not everyone made time to cast a ballot. According to research from VoteAmerica, 50% of the people who do not vote in presidential elections are registered voters.


get more stories like this via email