Primary turnout second highest in Jones Co., Iowa

     The June 7 Primary Election showed the second-highest voter turnout in Jones County since 1998.

   Auditor Whitey Hein shared late last week that 2,662 ballots were cast on Election Day, with a turnout of 19.11 percent.

   In 2018, there were a little over 2,000 ballots cast; in 2020, around 3,600.

   "It's the most well-attended primary if you take out 2020," Hein noted.

   To break the votes down further, there were 1,983 Republican ballots cast, or 74.49 percent of the total ballots; 679 Democratic ballots, 25.51 percent.

   This primary was also the second highest for the State of Iowa.

   Secretary of State Paul Pate released the figures on June 8, announcing that more than 356,000 Iowans voted in the primary. The break-down by political party: 195,355 Republicans; 156,589 Democrats.

   "Political parties do not turn out votes," Pate said while he was in Jones County on June 10 for the post-election audit. "You see the same with school and city elections. They're non-partisan. There is no big party apparatus turning out votes. The candidates themselves are on their own. You look at the fall election, and both political parties work to turn out votes. That's why you see a rise in the fall."

   In Jones County, incumbent Jon Zirkelbach was re-elected County Supervisor for District 3 with 1,174 votes, 61.31 percent. His opponent, John Carlson, received 738 votes, 38.4 percent.

   Statewide, Republican Rep. Steve Bradley won re-election for the new House District 66. He received 1,612 votes. Rep. Lee Hein received 1,298 votes.

   Sen. Chuck Grassley won over his opponent Jim Carlin in the Republican race for U.S. Senator, 143,289 votes over 51,755.

   Michael Franken won the three-way Democratic race for U.S. Senator. Franken received 86,372 votes; Abby Finkenaurer, 62,498; Glenn Hurst, 7,562.