Early voting changes Iowa's political landscape

DAVENPORT -- Early voters so dominated the election landscape in the Iowa Quad-Cities this year that political leaders on both sides say candidates and their parties are going to have to shift strategies.

For the most part, it"s the Republicans who will have to do the shifting. But even Democrats -- who have driven early voting in the state since 2002 -- were amazed at the turnout among early voters in the Quad-Cities this year.

Forty-two percent of voters cast early or absentee ballots, according to unofficial figures from the Scott County Auditor"s Office. That"s 37,000 out of 87,000 votes cast. Total turnout was 71.8 percent.

The previous high for absentees was 26,000 out of 83,000 votes cast, or 32 percent.

Quad-Citians far surpassed other large Iowa counties in early turnout. Linn and Polk counties each reported early turnout at 33 percent.

About 5,000 more Democrats than Republicans voted early in Scott County, but the numbers are not yet available to see how they actually voted, according to the auditor"s office.

Perhaps the best indicator, however, were the results.

Republicans Jamie Van Fossen, Ross Paustian and Steve Ahrens were leading or tied with their rivals before the bulk of absentee and early votes were reported. They ended up losing.

Paustian led by 700 votes over Rep. Elesha Gayman, D-Davenport, before an onslaught of early votes were reported. He lost by 800. Ahrens led Democrat Roxanna Moritz by 3,500 votes in the Scott County auditor"s race until early votes gave her a nearly 2,000-vote victory.

For years, Republicans have argued early voting isn"t worth the effort because it simply shifts people from voting on Election Day to casting early ballots.

That view may be changing.

"Whether we like it or not, that type of voting is here to stay," Scott County Republican Party Chairman Bryan Sievers said.