For the first time in Iowa history, elections in cities and school districts will occur at the same time and on the same ballot this Tuesday, Nov. 5.
The Iowa Legislature approved the merger of city and school board ballots in 2017, and this fall’s elections mark the first run with the new system. Eliminating the September school board elections and combining all on the November ballots was intended to boost voter turnout and potentially save taxpayer dollars.
In Dallas County, voters in 17 cities, 10 school districts, one community college district and one benefited water district will choose among candidates for offices of mayor, city council member, school board director, community college district director and water district trustee.
Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.
Countywide, 65 candidates are standing for 62 city offices, and 39 candidates are standing for 30 school board seats. Four city offices — the Bouton and Linden mayors’ seats and two Dexter City Council seats — saw no candidates file nomination papers before the Sept. 19 deadline. District two of the West Central Valley Community School District and district one of the Woodward-Granger Community School District also drew no candidates for the ballot.
Vacancies on the ballot are regularly supplied by write-in votes.
In many races, incumbents are running for reelection unopposed. In Perry, for instance, incumbent Perry Mayor John Andorf and incumbent Perry City Council members Dean Berkland, Chuck Schott and Barb Wolling are unchallenged in their reelection efforts by rival candidates. The situation is similar in Adel, where Mayor Jim Peters and City Council members Bob Ockerman, Shirley McAdon and Daniel Miller are running for reelection unopposed.
Of the 10 community school districts lying partly within Dallas County, most districts have one, two or three seats on the school board up for election. Both the Perry Community School District and the Woodward-Granger Community School District have three seats on the ballot, and the Panorama Community School District has one.
Incumbent PCSD Directors Kenia Leticia Alarcon, Linda Andorf and Jim Lutmer face no challengers on the ballot, but the Perry Education Association teachers union has endorsed two write-in candidates for the Perry School Board: Max Christensen and Erin Holmes.
Dallas County lies wholly within the Des Moines Area Community College District, in which one seat on the board of directors is up for election. Fred Greiner, former president and chief operating officer of Fareway Stores Inc., seeks a second full term as DMACC district trustee.
A countywide list of polling places and candidates follows along with proposed Revenue Purpose Statements for school district voters in the Waukee Community School District ad Wes Des Moines Community School District.
