WAUKEE, IOWA — Just over 20 days to go until voters will line up at voting locations and cast their vote for federal and state elections.

In Dallas County, state parties are picking up the pace on knocking doors, handing out voting information and making calls. In 2022, the challenger then Zach Nunn (R) beat the incumbent at the time Cindy Axne (D) by around 1,500 votes. Congressman Nunn ended up winning Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District by just over 2,000 votes total. Both parties in the county know that a win in Dallas will be critical in the 2024 cycle; and a boost in volunteer efforts has helped the workload.

“They want to volunteer to do phone banking, live dropping, door knocking has picked up,” said Kelley Koch, Chair of the Dallas County Republicans. “…we are so engaged. We have all spectrums. We have Drake Law, Republican students that live in Dallas. We have new parents that are moving to Waukee, some of the new suburbs. We have my age group that maybe their kids are out of college, but we now have more time that are really engaged.”

West Des Moines Democrats haven’t seen this level of people volunteering in a long while, it all stemmed when Vice President Kamala Harris took over the top of the ticket.

“Both on the Polk and Dallas side of the county, lines have been working like crazy. I have never seen the amount of engagement. When I logged in today, there were three messages from people I don’t know that said what can I do? How can I work,” said Jennie Doke-Kerns, the Chair of the West Des Moines Democrats.

“We know Democrats are excited to vote this fall. They are especially frustrate with how Republican lawmakers in our state have stripped women of their reproductive right and further damaged Iowa’s amazing public schools with their attacks on the AEAs and funding for vouchers instead of adequately funding our public schools.”

Hope Johnson, co-chair of the Southeast Dallas County Democrats

Both parties encouraged Iowans to vote early in-person when that window opens up. That time period begins in the state this upcoming Wednesday, October 16.