Washington

A high number of Washington County residents headed to the polls during last week's midterm election, with many also casting their ballots early throughout much of October. Precincts such as Kalona, Wellman and Riverside each recorded more than 1,000 ballots cast.

Kalona recorded 1,490 ballots cast, followed by Riverside with 1,466 and Wellman with 1,229. The Riverside precinct also includes Highland and Iowa townships.

On Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, the YMCA in Kalona was busy as residents arrived to cast their votes. During the first few hours, many voters made their way to the polls. By approximately 4 p.m., the Kalona precinct had recorded around 700 votes, with four hours remaining before polls closed and more residents continuing to arrive.

Across Washington County, 9,755 ballots were cast out of 14,704 registered voters, representing approximately 66.3% voter turnout.

The county also saw an increase in voter participation compared to the previous midterm election in 2022. During that election, 8,874 ballots were cast, compared to 9,755 this year, an increase of 881 ballots.

In 2022, Riverside recorded more ballots than Kalona, with 1,311 compared to Kalona's 1,287. Wellman recorded 1,154 ballots cast that year.

The increase in voter participation was also seen statewide. According to reports, approximately 1.3 million Iowans cast their ballots during this year's election, marking the highest midterm turnout since 1990.

Washington County also experienced increased participation, with several precincts recording more ballots cast than during the previous midterm election.

Throughout Election Day, voters made their way to the county's 10 precincts, including polling locations in Kalona, Riverside, Wellman and Washington, to make their voices heard in this year's general election.