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Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Did Democrats try to cheat in a close Iowa congressional election?

By Jacob Alabab-Moser
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NO

Democrat Rita Hart contested her narrow defeat in the 2020 election in Iowa's Second Congressional District following a process outlined by federal law. Hart filed a notice of contest, allowing the House of Representatives to claim jurisdiction over the dispute and the House Administration Committee to begin an investigation.

The House through its history has heard and resolved many contested elections. Hart lost to Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks by a margin of 47 votes in the initial results and six votes in the recount. Hart contended that election officials improperly excluded ballots during the canvass and that the recount did not comply with state and federal laws.

On March 31, 2021, Hart withdrew her election challenge, citing a ”toxic campaign of political disinformation” about the review by Republicans. Miller-Meeks said “it was gracious of her to concede.”

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Democracy Docket Notice of contest regarding the election for representative from Iowa”s Second Congressional District
govinfo Election contests and disputes
Quad City Times (IA) US House committee to meet to establish rules for reviewing contested Iowa race
Des Moines Register Iowa Democrat Rita Hart, claiming ‘toxic campaign of political disinformation,’ withdraws election challenge
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Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.