, ▁because ▁the ▁party ' s ▁vice ▁president ial ▁nom ine e , ▁Ma ura ▁De L uca , ▁was ▁too ▁young ▁to ▁appear ▁on ▁the ▁ball ot . ▁ ▁Jerry ▁L itz el ▁was ▁an ▁independent ▁candidate . ▁L itz el ▁is ▁a ▁collect or ▁of ▁president ial ▁memor abil ia ▁and ▁" th ought ▁it ▁would ▁be ▁neat ▁to ▁collect ▁a ▁( pres ident ial ) ▁ball ot ▁with ▁my ▁name ▁on ▁it ", ▁so ▁he ▁gathered ▁the ▁sign atures ▁necessary ▁to ▁appear ▁on ▁the ▁Iowa ▁ball ot . ▁His ▁brother , ▁Jim ▁L itz el , ▁is ▁listed ▁as ▁his ▁running ▁mate . ▁ ▁Anal yst s ▁considered ▁Iowa ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁toss - up ▁state — one ▁which ▁either ▁major ▁candidate ▁could ▁pla us ibly ▁win . ▁A ▁majority ▁of ▁state wide ▁opinion ▁pol ls ▁have ▁shown ▁Ob ama ▁tied ▁with ▁or ▁leading ▁Rom ney . ▁, ▁pol ling ▁aggreg ator ▁Five Th irty E ight ▁estimates ▁that ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁ 6 6 % ▁lik elihood ▁that ▁Ob ama ▁will ▁win ▁Iowa ' s ▁elect oral ▁votes . ▁ ▁Results ▁ ▁By ▁county ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁Republican ▁Party ▁president ial ▁prim aries ▁United ▁States ▁president ial ▁election ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁United ▁States ▁president ial ▁election ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁Official ▁website ▁of ▁Iowa ' s ▁Secretary ▁of ▁State ' s ▁office ▁Official ▁website ▁of ▁the ▁Iowa ▁Republican ▁Party ▁The ▁Green ▁Pap ers : ▁for ▁Iowa ▁The ▁Green ▁Pap ers :