City elections are held in November of odd years. Beginning in 2019, school elections were combined with city elections.

Turnout

Iowa City set a city election turnout record in 2007 with 15,728 voters.

North Liberty, Shueyville, and Swisher set new records in 2023.

Record Turnout by City, 1977-present
Including stand-alone special elections;
does not include special elections combined with general elections

City Record Turnout Year Key Contests
Iowa City 15,728 2007 Council, 21 Bar and Police Issues
Coralville 2,824 2013 Mayor and Council
Hills 295 2007 Water Utility
Lone Tree 326 2005 Mayor and Council
North Liberty 2,054 2023 Council
Oxford 267 1993 Mayor and Council
Shueyville 178 2023 Council
Solon 793 2021 Council, Public Measure (sales tax use)
Swisher (regular) 265 2023 Mayor and Council
Swisher (special) 476 3/7/2023 Water Utility
Tiffin 324 2011 Mayor and Council
University Heights 561 2013 Council
 

Highest Vote Totals for Candidates

In 2007, Iowa City District A incumbent Ross Wilburn won 10,449 votes in his uncontested race to set a new record. At-Large candidate Matt Hayek won 9,485 votes, the record for a contested race.

Highest Vote Totals by City, 1977-present

 
City Candidate

Votes

Office Year Contested
Iowa City Ross Wilburn

10,449

Council

2007

No
Coralville Meghann Foster

1,931

Mayor

2023

No
Hills Cathy Knebel

214

Council

2007

No
Lone Tree Eldon Slaughter

283

Mayor 2005 No
North Liberty Brent Smith 1548 Council

2023

Yes
Oxford James Hennes

205

Council 1981 Yes
Shueyville Chris Lacy 130 Council 2023 No
Solon Steve Duncan

558

Council

2021

No
Swisher Daryl Hynek 188 Council 2023 Yes
Tiffin Steve Berner

299

Mayor

2021

No
University Heights Louise From

358

Mayor

2013

No

 


Close Elections

Four Johnson County cities have seen tied elections since 1977, most recently in Hills in 1995. In the event of a tie, under Iowa law the winner is drawn by lot at the official canvass of votes.

The closest Iowa City election was the 1999 race for Iowa City Council member at large which was decided by two votes.

In a 1983 runoff election for one city council seat in North Liberty, four candidates were within one vote of each other. Randy Ferdig had 38 votes and three other candidates (two of them write-ins) had 37 votes each.

Closest Elections by City 1977-present

 
 
City Winning Candidate Defeated Margin Office Year
Iowa City Steven Kanner Charles Major 2 Council 1999
Coralville John Weihe Jean Schnake 12 Council

2007

Coralville (special) Sales Tax - No Sales Tax - Yes 8 Ballot Issue

5/5/2009

Hills Cathy Fitzmaurice Russell Bailey tie Mayor 1995
Lone Tree Jeff Lihs David Smith 1 Council 1997
North Liberty Stephen Purkapile Keith Roof

3

Council

1993

North Liberty Runoff Randy Ferdig three others

1

Council

1983

Oxford Darrel Lindley John Kahler 5 Council 1977
Shueyville Lori Chalupsky (W-I) Jerry Cada (W-I) 1 Council 1985
Chris Lacy Brenda Truka 1 Council

2011

Solon James Croy Ray Randall tie Council 1989
Swisher William Fisher (W-I) 2 others (W-I) 1 Council 1985
Linda Gear (W-I) Douglas Long (W-I) 1 Council 1983
Tiffin Pamela Brown Carrie Stratton tie Council 1989
University Heights Emery Rhodes Mary Hanson tie Council 1977

 


Write-Ins

Doug Votrubek was elected to the Shueyville city council as a write-in in 2023. There were also write-in winners in Lone Tree and Swisher, but they declined the offices. In all cases, fewer candidates ran than the number of offices available.

The last time a write in candidate defeated someone listed on the ballot was in 2015 in University Heights.