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UpdateIowaFriday, October 30, 2026

RNC sued Black Hawk County auditor over voting machine records

Reporting by
KCRG News (Cedar Rapids)
“RNC sues Black Hawk County Auditor over voting machine records”, Friday, October 30, 2026
Read the full story
What happened

The Republican National Committee sued Black Hawk County Auditor Karen Showalter over access to voting machine records in Black Hawk County, Iowa. The lawsuit claims RNC representatives were blocked from photographing or documenting machine seals after pre-election testing and that seal numbers were withheld. Showalter cited an Iowa confidentiality statute, while the RNC argues that statute does not apply to seal numbers and points to Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate's position that voting machine documents are public records.1

Showalter has not yet commented on the lawsuit.1

What it means in Iowa

What this means for Iowa elections

Counties in Iowa canvass results within 13 days of the election, by November 16.2 The State Canvassing Board, made up of the Governor, the Secretary of State, the Treasurer, the Secretary of Agriculture and the Auditor, compiles the official abstract and certifies the results.3

Key dates in Iowa

Election Day in 3 days
  1. Wed, Oct 14 · passed
    Early voting begins
  2. Mon, Oct 19 · passed
    Last day for mail ballot applications
  3. Tue, Nov 3 · 3 days
    Election Day; Registration deadline; Mail ballots must arrive
  4. Mon, Nov 16 · 16 days
    County/Local certification
  5. Mon, Nov 30 · 30 days
    State certification

Every date in Iowa, and who certifies the election

More on this story
Iowa · Oct 29
Iowa election officials assured voters of secure 2026 count
Reporting by KIMT News 3 (Mason City)
Iowa · Oct 29
Iowa Secretary of State said 2026 election will be secure
Reporting by KIOW
The answers behind this
Voting machines and election securityVoting in Iowa, 2026Who certifies the election in Iowa, and by when?What protects the result if someone tries to interfere after the vote?

Explore this issue

OverviewUpdates In depthDOJ told all 50 states to preserve ballots and election records for 22 months In depthThe Columbus Dispatch outlined voter ID requirements in Ohio In depthVoting advocates seek immediate block to policy that compiled voter lists In depthJustice Department sent election monitors to Arizona polling places In depthAdvancing Justice-Atlanta reminded voters of drop box deadline In depthColorado Secretary of State reminded voters of ballot return options In depthACLU says Maricopa County poll workers confused early voters on ID In depthPennsylvania officials urged voters to trust systems before midterms In depthPennsylvania analysis found flaws in jury list method for finding noncitizen voters In depthNearly 1.4 million Michigan voters cast early ballots by Oct. 27 In depthMichigan voting rules story published without article text In depthTexas election results become official only after certification

Sources

  1. KCRG News (Cedar Rapids), https://kcrg.com/2026/10/30/rnc-sues-black-hawk-county-auditor-over-voting-machine-records · Friday, October 30, 2026
  2. NCSL, Canvass Deadlines, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/canvass-deadlines
  3. Bolts, Who counts our elections, https://boltsmag.org/whats-on-the-ballot/who-counts-our-elections/

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