Through Oct 29, the statewide early voting tally in Iowa showed registered Democrats cast 178,743 ballots, representing 47.8% of the early vote. Registered Republicans cast 124,795 votes (33.4%) and no-party voters cast 68,731 (18.4%), leaving Democrats with a lead of 53,948 over Republicans. In the same period during the 2024 cycle, the early vote gap between the two parties was D+2,099.
Overall early voting volume fell 27.8% compared to 2024, although it remains 37.1% higher than the levels recorded in 2022. Registered Republicans saw the steepest decline in early participation, falling 39.2% from 2024. Meanwhile, the share of early votes from registered independents and no-party voters surged 74.9% since 2022, a trend that Democrats believe will help them secure a majority of that cohort’s support.