Nikoel Hytrek is Iowa Starting Line’s longest-serving reporter. She covers LGBTQ issues, abortion rights and all topics of interest to Iowans. Her biggest goal is to help connect the dots between policy and people’s real lives. If you have story ideas or tips, send them over to nikoel@new.iowastartingline.com.
Nikoel Hytrek
Latest from Nikoel Hytrek
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Iowa passed Voter ID laws in 2017. Here’s what to know now
While Iowa’s voter ID law may have put hurdles in the way of casting a ballot, county auditors and poll workers are still committed to helping all eligible citizens vote on Election Day.
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Access to birth control in Iowa is down. Here’s why it matters
Studies show Iowans aren’t getting birth control because they don’t have access to a clinic and/or it’s too expensive. That’s not good for people’s health, but there are clinics trying to close that gap.
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How to be a poll worker in Iowa
A guide to becoming a poll worker in Iowa. If you’d like to be an election worker in Iowa, the easiest way to do it is to go to pollworker.iowa.gov. There, you can click or tap on the “Become a Precinct Election Official” button and fill out a form. The Iowa Secretary of State’s Office…
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Early voting in Iowa: Where, when and how to vote
A step-by-step guide to early voting in Iowa. If you want to vote, but you don’t have the time or ability to go to your polling location for whatever reason, an easy solution is to vote early. In Iowa, the process involves a few steps, but let’s start with a quick explanation. Am I eligible…
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How to skip the crowds when you vote in 2024
If you’re worried about interacting with a bunch of people when you go to the polls to vote this year, you don’t have to be. In fact, voting is generally low-interaction, but if you really want to talk to as few people as possible, you have some options.
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What is an absentee ballot and how do I get one this year?
A step-by-step guide to getting and using an absentee ballot in Iowa. If you want to vote, but you don’t have the time or ability to go to your polling location for whatever reason, an easy solution is to get an absentee ballot. In Iowa, the process involves a few steps, but let’s start with…
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Miller-Meeks took money from insulin maker, then voted against insulin caps
For years, Miller-Meeks took thousands from pharmaceutical companies, and she received $1,000 from an insulin manufacturer on the day she voted against a bill to cap insulin prices. Before voting against a bill that would cap insulin costs and allow the government to negotiate Medicare drug costs, Republican Rep. Marianette Miller-Meeks, who represents Iowa’s First…
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20-foot inflatable IUD in Iowa draws attention to attacks on birth control
An inflatable IUD that has toured the country and been mentioned by ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ and ‘Late Night with Seth Meyers’ stopped in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines this week.
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Here’s why Iowa students won’t have new Title IX protections
Iowa students, including transgender and nonbinary children, will not enjoy new federal Title IX protections at school because Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, a Republican, sued over them in federal court. On Aug. 1, the Title IX expanded rules went into effect for 24 states across the country, but not Iowa and the other 25…
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Abortion ban: What impacts Iowans can expect going forward
With Iowa’s abortion ban in place, Iowans can expect similar outcomes other states with abortion bans have.
