Voting Records Show Address Change
According to Wappello County voting records, U.S. Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks has recently updated her voting registration to reflect her Ottumwa residence, which lies outside Iowa's 1st Congressional District that she currently represents.
This modification means the congresswoman will be unable to cast a ballot for herself or any other candidate in the upcoming 1st District election.
Timeline of Registration Changes
Miller-Meeks had been registered to vote in Scott County since 2022. The Quad-City Times initially reported that she altered her voter registration address in July.
Back in October 2022, she changed her registration from her Ottumwa address to the residence of now-Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer, a LeClaire Republican who was serving as a state senator at the time and lives within the 1st District boundaries.
In 2024, Miller-Meeks switched her voting registration to a Davenport apartment address before the most recent change to her Ottumwa home.
Redistricting Impact
Miller-Meeks was first elected to represent southeastern Iowa in Congress in 2020, serving a district that included her Wappello County home at that time.
Following the 2020 census, Iowa redrew its congressional districts, placing Miller-Meeks' Ottumwa property within south-central Iowa's 3rd District, which is represented by U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn.
After the redistricting, Miller-Meeks stated she would not sell her Ottumwa house but would establish residence within the newly drawn 1st District boundaries.
Official Statements and Documentation
"Dr. Miller-Meeks moved her residency back to their property in Ottumwa to be by her husband’s side," her campaign manager Peter Owens explained in a statement. "Miller-Meeks has lived in Southeast Iowa for almost 40 years and remains committed to serving the people of Iowa's 1st Congressional District, having held over 280 events in all 20 counties this year alone."
During a televised debate in October 2024, Miller-Meeks addressed questions about her legal residency, stating she was "honest" when she said after redistricting that she would not sell her Wapello County property.
"In Iowa, land is valuable and we hold onto it, so I have a property there," Miller-Meeks said.
Property tax records indicate Miller-Meeks and her husband own land in Ottumwa. Her 2024 congressional disclosure report listed a mortgage on her "personal residence in Ottumwa," and she lists Ottumwa as her address on campaign forms filed with the Federal Election Commission.
Legal Framework
Federal regulations mandate that members of Congress reside in the state they represent, though they are not required to live within their specific district.
Iowa law defines a voter's residence as "the place which the person declares is the person's home with the intent to remain there permanently or for a definite, or indefinite, or indeterminable length of time."
Political Context
Miller-Meeks is pursuing a fourth term in 2026, with the 1st District race identified as one of national Democrats' primary targets in their effort to regain congressional control.
In a December 19 episode of Iowa Press, Matt Paul, principal and director of Cornerstone Public Affairs lobbying firm who has worked for state-level Democrats and managed Hillary Clinton's successful 2016 Iowa caucus campaign, discussed what Democrats must do differently in 2026 to win seats.
Paul emphasized that Democratic candidates need to present their vision for improving Iowans' lives and addressing issues like water quality, healthcare, and living costs. He suggested Democrats might focus on questions surrounding Republican candidates' residency.
"I think we've got to be prepared for Republicans to get really strong and real negative in these races," Paul said. "But there's a lot of opportunity around just plain and simple residency. There are these questions about where Rep. Miller-Meeks lives and where she's registered to vote. … There are all kinds of these residency questions that have to be sorted out as we move forward. But I think we've got to be able to capitalize on what is a really good environment."
