November 6, 2007 Iowa City Primary
Guide to Election Night Returns

Links to returns and turnout will be placed directly on our home page www.jcauditor.com.

Turnout Updates

Precincts report turnout at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., and 3 p.m.  Precinct by precinct turnout will be posted at these times.  Sample

Returns

We will a summary of all races, contested and uncontested.  Sample - zero results

We will also post precinct results for the following contested races (samples, zero results)

• Iowa City: At Large and ballot issues
• Coralville: Council
• North Liberty: Council and hotel/motel tax

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When will results be available?

Early voting results will be posted promptly at 8 p.m.  After 8 p.m. we will update returns as quickly as they are reported in from the polling places.

Each precinct has two voting machines: a ballot reader for paper ballots and a touch screen machine.  Voters may choose which machine to use.  The results from the paper ballot reader will be reported by modem.  Our current technology does not allow us to transmit results from the touch screens by modem.  Runners will be stationed at the precincts to bring in the electronic media containing the touch screen results as quickly as possible.

We will report results from each machine as they become available, so initial reports from each precinct may be incomplete.  Precincts with partial results will be indicated by an asterisk on the web site and fax reports, and by color coding on the cable TV display (blue for no report, white for partial, yellow for complete).

Once all precincts have reported at least one machine, results will be labeled "Preliminary Partial Results."

After all precincts have reported both machines, results will be labeled "Preliminary Final Results."

Results on Cable TV

Results will be available on Iowa City Cable TV beginning at 8 p.m.  We will post a list of precincts reporting and rotating totals in contested races:

View Results at Auditor's Office

Results will be displayed for the public at the County Administration Building, 913 S. Dubuque St., beginning at 8 p.m.  Visitors will see the same display as cable viewers.

Number of Precincts

For most cities in this election, there are two precincts: 1) the polling place and 2) absentee voting which is counted as a separate precinct.

Cities with more precincts:

• Iowa City: 26 precincts (25 polling places plus absentee)
  • Note that in Iowa City, all contests are city-wide, including the Council District A and District C races.
• Coralville: 7 precincts (6 polling places plus absentee)
• North Liberty: 3 precincts (2 polling places plus absentee)

Hills Write In Winners

In Hills, the number of council seats available is greater than the number of candidates on the ballot, and at least one winner will be determined by write-in votes. 

Write-ins must be hand-counted by our pollworkers, and initial reports will only list the total number of write-in votes cast.  Once the poll workers have returned their supplies to our office, we will verify and release write-in results.  These results will not appear on cable TV or the lobby display, but will be posted on the web site.

For other cities, the web site will be updated on election night in the event that a write-in candidate wins more votes than a candidate listed on the ballot.  Scattered write-in votes not determining the outcome of a contest will be reviewed in the days following the election.  In the event a write-in earns more than 2 percent of the vote, that person will be included in the final canvass of votes and listed on the web site.

When are the results final?

Once the poll workers have returned their supplies to our office, our staff will review the printouts from the voting machines and make any corrections.  Once all corrections are made, results will include the heading "Verified Preliminary Final Results."  This will include write-in detail if needed.  These will be the last returns posted on November 6.

Vote totals may change in the days following the election as special ballots and late arriving absentee ballots with timely postmarks are counted.

All election results are unofficial until the official canvass of votes, conducted by the Johnson County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, November 13.  Following the canvass, results will include the heading "Final Official Results."  These results will remain on our site permanently as a historic record.  Past election returns