Many public opinion polls show Iowa’s U.S. Senate race is close, with a Quinnipiac University Poll released yesterday (Monday) showing the race tied. If the results tonight (Tuesday) aren’t conclusive and the candidates are separated by just a few thousand or even a few hundred votes, there is NO state law requiring a recount. In fact, to get a statewide recount, a candidate would have to file a recount request with each of Iowa’s 99 county auditors. Chance McElhaney, a spokesman for Iowa’s secretary of state, says a candidate may ask for recounts in specific precincts, too, rather than the entire county.

“There is no automatic recount in Iowa,” he says. “Basically, a candidate that has their name printed on the ballot or that gets a vote in the precinct that they’re requesting can request a recount from the county auditor.” There has been NO statewide recount in modern history, but there are often recounts in legislative races where winning margins are sometimes fewer than a dozen votes.

“Statewide and federal (race), to be honest, we really don’t see recounts in those races,” McElhaney says. But since the outcome of the race between Democrat Bruce Braley and Republican Joni Ernst may determine which party controls the U.S. Senate in January, leaders of both political parties have made plans to rush lawyers and election experts to Iowa overnight if there is the possibility of a recount.

It is the candidate who requests a recount and they won’t be able to ask for one tomorrow (Wednesday). They’ll have to wait ’til each county has a “canvas” of all votes cast to certify the election results. That happens either Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. After that official canvas is done, a candidate has three days to file a recount request. If a recount is requested, each county’s auditor decides how the recount will be conducted.

“The Recount Board…could hand-count if they wanted, they can use the machines if they wanted or they could do both,” McElhaney says. On Wednesday and Thursday of THIS week, county election officials will count any late-arriving absentee ballots that have a Monday postmark and all the “provisional” ballots that were cast at precincts on Election Day. If there is a statewide recount, the Iowa secretary of state’s office will offer legal advice, but each county auditor will be responsible for the conduct of the recount in his or her county.

(Radio Iowa)

Iowa’s largest county and the state’s fastest-growing county are key battlegrounds in the race for Iowa’s U.S. Senate seat.  Polk County, home to the state’s capital city of Des Moines, is Iowa’s largest county and a key point of emphasis for Bruce Braley’s campaign because it is a Democratic stronghold. Former Governor Tom Vilsack says back in 2004, John Kerry lost Iowa to George Bush because Kerry didn’t win enough votes in Polk County.

“Polk County Democrats, you have got to deliver on Tuesday,” Vilsack said Saturday during a rally in Des Moines. “You have got to deliver a wide margin. You need to be committed to that.” As of midday Money, a record number of absentee ballots had been returned in Polk County — over 58-thousand. Nearly 29-thousand came from Democrats, another 10-thousand from independents and Democrats contend many of those are likely Braley voters.

For Republicans, Dallas County has become a G-O-P stronghold. Dallas County was the seventh fastest growing county in the entire country in 2012. It’s population grew by 62 percent in the first decade of this century. Jon McAvoy has served on the Adel City Council for 25 years and was featured in an ad for Republican Joni Ernst’s campaign.

“I think Dallas County is going to carry strongly for Joni, I really do. We’re strongly Republicans,” McAvoy says. “When we moved out there 36 years ago, it was pretty much all Democrat. All the elected people in the county, except for one, were Democrats and now it’s totally flipped around and they’re all Republicans, except for one.” As of Saturday, Republicans had a three-thousand vote edge in returned absentee ballots in Dallas County.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

UNDATED (AP) — The hard-fought Senate race in Iowa between Democrat Bruce Braley and Republican Joni Ernst could be a photo finish. One poll released over the weekend suggests Ernst has pulled ahead, while several others show a close matchup. Money has flooded the state for both candidates as Republicans seek the six-seat gain they need to take control of the Senate.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A state audit confirms that a former Iowa County official stole more than $60,000 in public money. Kimberly Tanke is serving three years of probation after pleading guilty to theft in March. Tanke was twice elected county treasurer and later served as a county supervisor. She resigned a year ago.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Retiring Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin is apologizing for calling Republican Joni Ernst attractive, but “wrong for the state of Iowa.” Harkin, who is supporting Democrat Bruce Braley to succeed him, made the remarks at a recent Democratic dinner. In the video, Harkin says it doesn’t matter if Ernst is “as good looking as Taylor Swift or as nice as Mr. Rogers,” if she’s going to be a conservative vote in the Senate. Ernst decried the remark as sexist, saying he would not have made the same comments about a male candidate.

(Information in the following story is from: KWWL-TV, http://www.kwwl.com)

EVANSDALE, Iowa (AP) — A 14-year-old girl faces a first-degree arson charge in connection to a small fire at a middle school in northeast Iowa. Evansdale Fire Chief Kent Smock says the girl was taken into custody. The case has been sent to the juvenile court system. The small fire was reported on Oct. 22 inside a bathroom at Bunger Middle School in Evansdale. No injuries were reported.

The Atlantic City Council is expected to act Wednesday evening, on accepting bids for two, City-owned properties acquired through the condemnation process. During the Council’s last regular meeting, resolutions allowing for the sale of properties at 1200 Birch and 1106 Poplar via sealed bids, were approved. Bids will be accepted through 5-p.m. Wednesday (Nov. 5th).

One of the properties is currently an empty lot. The other has a two-story home on the lot. The house is filled with junk and the buyer will need to remove the structure and its contents, according to a demolition agreement the purchaser is required to sign. If no bids are received for either property, or if the Council feels either bid is inadequate, it may reject the offer/offers, and table the matter.

In other business, Interim City Administrator John Lund is expected to report on his recent visit with Ed Morrison, from the Iowa Municipalities Worker’s Compensation Association. Lund says Morrison had good news, in that measures taken by the City to adopt certain policies, have resulted in a roughly 66-percent decline in the number of Worker Compensation claims over the past 5-years. The policies include seat belt or restraint use, using a designated physician and a Return to Work program.

As a result of having fewer claims, Morrison told Lund the City is being moved out of a higher risk bracket and it is now eligible for insurance premium discounts, which Lund says will be less than what a City the average size of Atlantic, pays.

Near end of their 5:30-p.m. meeting, Wednesday, the Council may elect to enter into a Closed Session per Iowa Code, to hold a Collective Bargaining strategy session, with regard to the City’s Road and Wastewater Treatment system employees’ contracts, which are set to expire June 30, 2015. Lund said rather than using a labor attorney to facilitate the discussions, he would try and meet with Union leaders prior to the Council’s meeting.

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Joni Ernst says she’s “greatly offended” by a remark Democratic Senator Tom Harkin made last week in Ames and Harkin has issued a written apology this afternoon (Tuesday). Video of Harkin’s remark at a gathering of Story County Democrats was posted online by Buzzfeed yesterday (Sunday). Harkin said Ernst was “really attractive” and “sounds nice” in her campaign ads.

“I don’t care if she’s as good looking as Taylor Swift or as nice as Mr. Rogers, but if she votes like Michele Bachmann, she’s wrong for the state of Iowa,” Harkin said, to extended applause from the Democratic crowd. Ernst was asked about Harkin’s remark this morning (Monday) during an appearance on FOX News.

“I was very offended that Senator Harkin would say that. I think it’s unfortunate that he and many of their party believe you can’t be a real woman if you’re conservative and you’re female,” Ernst said on the “FOX & friends” morning show. “Again, I am greatly offended about that.” Ernst said if her name were “John Ernst” Harkin would not have said those things. Harkin issued a written apology this afternoon, saying he “shouldn’t have said those things” and he regret that Ernst feels offended by what he said.

Harkin added that he has complimented Ernst for running “a very good campaign,” but Harkin said he is “only human and can make mistakes” sometimes in how he expresses himself.

(Radio Iowa)