Nebraska and Iowa Report Midterm Election Voter Turnout
Nebraska and Iowa reported voter turnout below two-thirds of registered voters, though Lincoln County, Nebraska, saw its highest participation rate since the early 1990s.
Voter turnout for the Tuesday midterm elections in Nebraska and Iowa remained below two-thirds of registered voters. The Nebraska Secretary of State reported that just under 60% of the state's 1,265,162 registered voters cast ballots. Among major Nebraska counties, Sarpy County led with 60.3%, followed by Lancaster County at 59.4% and Douglas County at 57.6%.
Becky Rossell, the Lincoln County Election Commissioner, reported a historic turnout of nearly 56% in Lincoln County, the highest rate for the area since the early 1990s. Rossell attributed the surge to steady traffic at polling sites in North Platte and rural communities, as well as heavy in-person early voting. The certification process will take several weeks and include a mandatory hand audit of North Platte’s Precinct 10.
In Iowa, the Secretary of State reported a higher overall participation rate of 63.7%, although 797,846 registered voters did not cast ballots. Pottawattamie County reported a turnout of 54.1%.
Separately, voters in Linn and Benton counties approved most ballot measures, including fire district levies and a local option levy for the Corvallis School District. However, Linn County voters rejected a proposed five-year local option levy intended to reopen a jail in Lebanon.
