DES MOINES, Iowa – Iowa’s six electors certified their vote for President Donald Trump in the state’s Electoral College vote on Monday morning.
The U.S. Constitution in Article II, Section 1 reads, “Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the state may be entitled in Congress: but no Senator or Representatives, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.”
It also states, “Congress may determine the Time of choosing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes, the Day shall be the same throughout the United States.”
Congress in 1948 determined that day to be “the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December.”
The Constitution gives state legislatures the power to direct how electors are chosen. Iowa law states that the winner of the popular vote receives all of the state’s electors. Each political party or campaign organization (if the candidate is not the nominee of an official political party in Iowa) designates a slate of electors. Since Trump won the popular vote in Iowa, the Republican Party of Iowa’s slate voted at the Iowa State Capitol. Iowa Republicans selected one elector in each of the four district conventions and two electors at the state convention.
Trump defeated Joe Biden in Iowa 53.2 percent (897,672) to 45 percent (759,061) but won the overall Electoral College vote 306 to 232.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds presided over the ceremony and Secretary of State Paul Pate distributed, collected, and counted the elector’s ballots.
The 2020 Republican electors are David Chung (Iowa’s First Congressional District), Thad Nearmyer (Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District), Ronald Forsell (Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District), Polly Granzow (Iowa’s 4th Congressional District), Charlie Johnson (at-large), and Kurt Brown (at-large).
More than 1.7 million Iowans voted in the 2020 election with a 76 percent voter turnout.
“I’m really proud of the way Iowans have fulfilled their civic duty this year by voting record numbers, both the primary and the general election despite the pandemic and other challenges. Iowans made sure their voices were heard,” Secretary of State Paul Pate said.
