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Recount laws in Iowa
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An election recount is a process by which votes cast in an election are re-tabulated to verify the accuracy of the original results. Recounts typically occur in the event of a close margin of victory, following accusations of election fraud, or due to the possibility of administrative errors. Recounts can either occur automatically or be requested by a candidate or voters.
Iowa law does not provide for automatic recounts. Candidates, voters, and election officials may request a recount only under certain circumstances. Recount costs are paid by the state.
Summary of recount laws
The list below shows answers to common questions regarding recounts in Iowa.[1]
- Does state law require automatic recounts?
- No.
- When must an automatic recount be completed?
- There are no automatic recounts in this state.
- Can a recount be requested?
- Yes. A recount can be requested if there is a 0.15% difference in vote margin in a federal or statewide race. It also can be requested in state legislative or local races if the margin is the lesser of 1% or 50 votes. The recount can be requested up to three days after the county canvass. The deadline for completion is 18 days after a request is received.
- Who pays for a requested recount?
- The state.
- Is a refund available for requested recount costs?
- Not applicable. The state covers the cost of requested recounts.
- Can a partial recount be requested?
- No.
Iowa recount procedures
Automatic recount procedures
Iowa does not require automatic recounts.
Requested recount procedures
Candidates may only request a recount in a federal or statewide race if there is a 0.15% difference in vote margin. Local and state legislative candidates may only request a recount if the difference in vote margin is the lesser of 1% or 50 votes. Costs are paid by the state.[2]
Voter(s) may request a recount on a ballot measure by submitting a petition under the following guidelines:
| “ |
The petition shall be signed by the greater of not less than ten eligible electors or a number of eligible electors equaling one percent of the total number of votes cast upon the public measure. Each petitioner must be a person who was entitled to vote on the public measure in question or would have been so entitled if registered to vote. [3] |
” |
| —IA Code § 50.49 | ||
Recounts can only be requested for a statewide ballot measure if there is a .15% difference in vote margin. Recounts can only be requested for other public measures if the difference in vote margin is the lesser of either 1% or 50 votes.
Recounts must be requested within three days of the county canvass. For a city runoff election the written request must be made on the day following the county board’s canvass of the election. The deadline for completion is 18 days after the request was received.[4]
An election official may also request a recount paid for by the state if he or she suspects voting equipment malfunctions or receives reports of counting errors.[5] State law does not specify deadlines for the completion of such a requested recount but does indicate that the request may be made after the canvass.
For more information about recount procedures in Iowa, click here.
Iowa voting equipment
- See also: Voting methods and equipment by state
Iowa uses hand-marked paper ballots and ballot-marking devices for its elections.[6]
Noteworthy events
Iowa's 2nd Congressional District election (2020)
Prior to the first recount, incumbent Rita Hart (D) led Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R) by 162 votes. Secretary of State Paul Pate (R) requested a recount in Jasper County after County Auditor Dennis Parrot informed the state that human error had resulted in 591 Election Day ballots from one precinct being counted incorrectly.[7] Pate requested a second recount in Lucas County on Nov. 10 after learning one of the county's precincts had not been included in the county's vote total.[8] On Nov. 13, Hart requested a full recount, which ended on Nov. 30. Following the third and final recount, Miller-Meeks was certified as the winner, leading Hart by six votes.[9] On Dec. 2, Hart announced she would contest the election results before the U.S. House.[10] On March 31, 2021, Hart dropped her petition before the House Administration Committee, ending her challenge.[11] Click here to learn more.
50-state overview of recount laws
The table below summarizes where state laws allow for automatic and requested recounts. Click "show" to view the table.
As of June 2025, state law in 48 states included a recount provision, automatic recounts are possible in 28 states, and requested recounts are possible in 43 states.
50-state overview of requested recounts
The table below summarizes how requested recounts are paid for and whether it is possible for candidates to request a partial recount. Click "show" to view the table.
As of June 2025, the requester of a recount pays for the recount in 23 states, the state pays in seven states, and in 11 states it depends on the circumstances of the election or the recount. In 27 states a refund may be available for a requested recount, in four states a refund depends on the circumstances of the recount, and in five states no refund is available. Requested recounts are not possible in the remaining 14 states. In 27 states a partial recount may be requested.
| State[14] | Who pays for a requested recount? | Refund available? | Can candidates request a partial recount? | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Requester | Yes | Yes | 16-20,21 |
| Alaska | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | Yes | 20.430-490 |
| Arizona | No requested recounts | N/A | No | 16-661,249 |
| Arkansas | Requester | Yes | No | 7-5-319 |
| California | Requester | Yes | Yes | 15620-15634 |
| Colorado | Requester | Yes | No | 10.5-101-109 |
| Connecticut | No requested recounts | N/A | No | 9-445,6-311a |
| Delaware | State | N/A | Yes | 5702(C,E) |
| District of Columbia | Requester | Yes | Yes | 1-1001.11(a) |
| Florida | No requested recounts | N/A | No | 102.141,166 |
| Georgia | State | N/A | Yes | 21-2-495,499 |
| Hawaii | No requested recounts | N/A | No | 11-158 |
| Idaho | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | Yes | 34-2301-2309 |
| Illinois | Requester | Maybe[15] | Yes | 5/22-9.1, 18 |
| Indiana | Requester | Yes | Yes | 3-12-11-1-10 |
| Iowa | State | N/A | No | 43.56 & 50.48 |
| Kansas | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | Yes | 25-3107 |
| Kentucky | Requester | No | Yes | 120.017,095,185,250,280 |
| Louisiana | Requester | Yes | Yes | 18-1451 & 1453 |
| Maine | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | No | 737-A |
| Maryland | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | Yes | 12-101-107 |
| Massachusetts | State | N/A | Yes | 54:135,A,B |
| Michigan | Requester | Yes | Yes | 168.879-894 |
| Minnesota | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | Yes | 204C.35-361 |
| Mississippi | No requested recounts | N/A | No | N/A |
| Missouri | Requester | Maybe[16] | No | 115.601 |
| Montana | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Maybe[17] | No | 13-16-201-11 |
| Nebraska | Requester | Yes | Yes | 32-1119,1121 |
| Nevada | Requester | Yes | No | 293.403-405 |
| New Hampshire | State/Requester Depends on election type[18] |
Varies[19] | No | 660:1-16 |
| New Jersey | Requester | Yes | Yes | 19:28-1,2,3 |
| New Mexico | Requester | Yes | Yes | 1-14-14 to 25 |
| New York | Unclear[20] | No | No | 9-208 |
| North Carolina | State | N/A | No | 163-182.7,182.7A |
| North Dakota | Requester | No | No | 16.1-16-01 |
| Ohio | Requester | Yes | Yes | 3515.01-072 |
| Oklahoma | Requester | Yes | Yes | 26-8-109 to 117 |
| Oregon | Requester | Yes | Yes | 258.006-300 |
| Pennsylvania | Requester | Yes | Yes | 3154g,3261-3 |
| Rhode Island | Unclear[21] | No | No | 17-19-37.1 |
| South Carolina | No requested recounts | N/A | No | 7-17-280 |
| South Dakota | State | N/A | Yes | 12-21-1 to 37 |
| Tennessee | No requested recounts | N/A | No | 2-17,18 |
| Texas | Requester | Yes | Yes | 211 to 216 |
| Utah | State/Requester Depends on requester[22] |
No | No | 20A-4-401 |
| Vermont | State | N/A | No | 17-51-2601,2602 |
| Virginia | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | No | 8-24.2-800 to 802.3 |
| Washington | Requester | Yes | Yes | 29A.64 |
| West Virginia | Requester | Yes | Yes | 3-6-9 |
| Wisconsin | State/Requester Depends on margin |
Yes | Yes | 9.01 & 5.90 |
| Wyoming | Requester | Yes | No | 22-16-109 to 114 |
State legislation
The table below lists bills related to recounts introduced during (or carried over to) Iowa's regular legislative session this year. The following information is included for each bill:
- State
- Bill number
- Official bill name or caption
- Most recent action date
- Legislative status
- Sponsor party
- Topics dealt with by the bill
Bills are organized by most recent action. The table displays up to 100 results. To view more bills, use the arrows in the upper-right corner. Clicking on a bill will open its page on Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker, which includes bill details and a summary.
See also
- Election recount laws and procedures in the 50 states
- Voting in Iowa
- Iowa
- Voting methods and equipment by state
Footnotes
- ↑ Iowa State Legislature, "Chapter 50," accessed April 9, 2024
- ↑ Iowa Legislature, "House File 928, Relating to the Recounting an Contesting of Elections, and Providing Penalties," accessed September 19, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Iowa Legislature, "IA Code § 50.48," accessed September 19, 2025
- ↑ Iowa Legislature, "IA Code § 50.50," accessed September 19, 2025
- ↑ Verified Voting, "The Verifier - Election Day Equipment - November 2026," accessed September 19, 2025
- ↑ The Gazette, "Recount of 19,000 ballots ordered in tight Iowa U.S. District 2 House race," November 6, 2020
- ↑ Quad-City Times, "UPDATED: Iowa Secretary of State orders another recount in tight 2nd district US House race," November, 10, 2020
- ↑ Associated Press, "Iowa board certifies 6-vote Republican win in US House race," November 30, 2020
- ↑ Politico, "Iowa Democrat will challenge election results with House," December 2, 2020
- ↑ Politico, "Democrat drops election contest in Iowa House race," March 31, 2021
- ↑ Verified Voting, "Arizona Recount Laws," accessed September 25, 2025
- ↑ A court may order a recount under Arizona law.
- ↑ This category encompasses instances where the state government pays for recounts and those states where counties pay.
- ↑ A recount alone cannot change the election results, but can be used to contest the election. At the end of that process, the court may choose not to levy costs against the prevailing party.
- ↑ Recounts occur as part of a contested election. A requester may be required to cover costs before the start of such an event. The court may choose to require the unsuccessful party in a contested election to cover the costs, which could involve a refund to the requester if he or she is the successful party.
- ↑ In the case of a court-ordered recount, candidates must pay, but will be refunded if the outcome changes. Regarding non-court-ordered recounts, state law does not mention whether the candidate is refunded in such a case.
- ↑ The state covers requested recounts of statewide constitutional amendments. The requester covers all other recounts.
- ↑ For local and county ballot measure elections, state law does not mention the possibility of a refund. For all other recounts, costs paid by the requester are refunded if the recount changes the election outcome.
- ↑ No mention in state law.
- ↑ No mention in state law.
- ↑ The state pays for candidate-requested recounts. The requester pays for voter-requested recounts of ballot measures.
