The Muscatine County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 2 accepted the minutes that recorded the canvass and certification that took place on Nov. 27 of the recount of the U.S. Congressional District 1 race from the Nov. 5 General Election.
The canvass had been scheduled for Nov. 25, but was rescheduled to Nov. 27 due to access issues with the Secretary of State’s website in uploading files. The board of supervisors on Nov. 27 certified the abstract of the recount of votes. The recount was conducted by voting equipment on Nov. 20.
The board approved on Nov. 18 a recount of votes cast for the U.S. Congressional District 1 race in the Nov. 5 General Election between Democrat Christina Bohannan and Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks.
Bohannan requested a recount. Miller-Meeks previously was ahead in the race with 801 votes. The recount request was filed with the Muscatine County auditor on Nov. 14.
The minutes of the Nov. 27 canvass recorded that the board certified the “true and correct abstract of the recount of votes.”
“Vander Linden stated the Recount Board certified the following changes: Election Day Precincts Tally: No Change/100 percent accurate tally with 12,021 ballots cast with a scattering of 32 write-in votes, 338 undervotes and 2 overvotes; Absentee Tally: Mariannette Miller-Meeks 3,543 votes (one additional vote), Christina Bohannan 4,074 votes (one less vote) and a scattering of 10 write-in votes, 224 under-votes and 1 over-vote for a total of 7,852 Absentee ballots cast,” according to the minutes of the Nov. 27 canvass. “There was a total of 19,873 votes cast. Mariannette Miller-Meeks received 10,138 votes. Christina Bohannan received 9,128 votes, and there was a scattering of 42 write-in votes, 562 under-votes and 3 over-votes.”
County Auditor Tibe Vander Linden told the board on Dec. 2 that she thanked her staff, the recount team and the public who attended the recount.
“We were the first of the 20 counties to recount U.S. Representative District 1 in the ordered recount,” Vander Linden said. “It all went well, and everyone was very complimentary that day, as well as even the compliments I’ve received in writing since. I’m very pleased how it went as far as being efficient and everyone just being on time and willing to serve.”
On Dec. 2, the Iowa Board of Canvass certified Iowa’s 2024 General Election results as official, including the recount in the U.S. Congressional District 1 in which Miller-Meeks was confirmed the winner by 799 votes.
Miller-Meeks had 206,955 votes to Bohannan’s 206,156 votes, according to the Iowa Secretary of State “2024 General Election” official results.
In 2020, when the race between Miller-Meeks and Democrat Rita Hart for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District went to a recount, Miller-Meeks was certified as the winner by six votes.
In other action, the board:
Approved Change Order No. 1 with TnT Tuckpointing and Building Restoration LLC for painting and sealing work for the Muscatine County Courthouse roofing project in the amount of $5,164.82.