Iowa state Sen. Joni Ernst (R) this week requested materials on recount procedures, signaling that she might be gearing up for a recount request in the Iowa Senate race against Rep. Bruce Braley (D-IA).
Ernst filed open records requests in multiple counties for training materials, satellite voting locations, names of ballot counters, recount procedures and any thing also sent to Braley, The Gazette reported.
Such a large record request so close to an election is unusual for candidates, multiple Iowa auditors told The Gazette.
“I think they’re gearing up for a recount,” Johnson County Auditor Travis Weipert said.
Ernst has been leading Braley in the polls, but by a very narrow margin. In a Quinnipiac Poll released Thursday, Ernst led Braley among likely voters by two points, but a couple polls released recently showed Ernst leading by just one point.
According to TPM’s Polltracker average, Ernst has a 2.2 point lead over Braley.