(Radio Iowa) – Election Day is four weeks away, but the leaders of both of Iowa’s major political parties are urging their fellow partisans to vote early. Governor Kim Reynolds and Senator Joni Ernst have helped the Iowa G-O-P fund an early voting effort. “This election is going to be about turnout, it’s going to be about turnout, it’s going to be about turnout.” Reynolds says the goal is to “bank” as many early votes as possible. “So that we can take the limited resources that we have, be more efficient with those limited resources and do everything we can to get more people to the polls.”

The Iowa Democratic Party chair Rita Hart notes the party’s website lists “early in person” as the recommended way to vote in 2024. “And then go out and get three of your friends, all of your neighbors, everybody you know to do that same thing,” Hart said at a recent fundraiser. Kira Barker is executive director of Polk County Democrats. She says they’ve delivered a placard that lists all the deadlines for absentee ballots, early voting and election day voting to 140-thousand doors in Iowa’s largest county.

“This cycle we have been laser focused on field work,” Barker said, “…in every precinct in the county.” October 16th is the the first day Iowans may vote at county auditors’ offices. It’s also the day county auditors may begin mailing absentee ballots to voters who requested one.