What's your choice, Iowans? Three finalists for new state license plate

OK, Iowans. Now it's up to you to decide.

Three finalists for the design of a new state license plate were unveiled Thursday at the Iowa State Fair by Gov. Kim Reynolds, acting Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg, and Iowa Department of Transportation Director Mark Lowe. The winner will provide the first change in the design of Iowa's license plates in more than two decades.

PREVIOUSLY: This popular design won't be on Iowa's new license plate. Here's why.

"We think each design depicts Iowa in kind of a unique way, and so we are looking forward to having you all...weigh in on this process," Reynolds told fairgoers in remarks at the DOT's booth in the Varied Industries Building.

But the governor ducked the question and laughed when asked which plate was her favorite, saying, "No way!"

The three designs are now available for a public vote, either in person at the DOT's booth at the State Fair or online at the Iowa Department of Transportation's website.  Votes will be tallied through Aug. 20, with the winner announced in late August or early September. Voters are asked to cast ballots only once, although Lowe acknowledged it's possible to vote more than once. The goal is simply to measure the pulse of the public, he said.

Here are the three designs:

THE GREAT WIDE OPEN: This design was inspired by the rich, green landscape that blankets and sustains Iowa, DOT officials said. It is intended to remind Iowans that the state's heritage is its land and that Iowa is a beautiful place.

FLYING OUR COLORS:  This option was inspired by the Iowa flag, and features red, white and blue colors and a silver-grey image of an eagle on the flag. It also commemorates the founding of Iowa in 1846. It's intended to be patriotic and "all-Iowa."

CITY AND COUNTRY REBOOT:  This is aimed at providing an updated and more visually compelling  representation of the urban and rural theme now used on Iowa's license plates.  The top blue border profiles city and country images and the bottom green border is intended to evoke growth, nature and wellness. The plate is also intended to remind people that Iowa is a great place to live, wherever you choose.

Several fairgoers who got the first glimpses of the three license plate designs Thursday appeared to favor the Great Wide Open option, although each plate drew compliments. By late afternoon Thursday, more than 80,000 votes had been cast. The Town and Country Reboot was ahead in the poll with 40 percent, while the patriotic plate had 37 percent and the Great Wide Open had 23 percent.

Julie McNair, a retired business owner from Conrad, said she liked the rural landscape and the green colors on the Great Wide Open plate design. 

"I just think it represents Iowa really well. I like the trees and the grass and the hills," McNair said.

But Lily Kallenbach, 16, a junior at Norwalk High School, preferred the Town and Country Reboot. "I like the colors and the fact that it shows the different parts of Iowa," she said.

DOT Director Lowe said he personally likes the flag-oriented plate. "We have one of the best flags for a state in the country," he said, adding, "But I think all of the designs are terrific."

The current plates, which have been issued by Iowa's county treasurers since January 1997, are white, blue and gray. They feature a town and country theme with a farmstead and two silos silhouetted in white by a city skyline.

Many Iowans are well aware that license plates serve as mini-billboards to promote the state as motorists travel nationwide. That's resulted in some big arguments in the past among Iowans over license plate designs.

There is no slogan or motto on any of the three plate designs.  In 1983, the Iowa Transportation Commission proposed the slogan "A State of Minds" for Iowa's plates, but it was dumped after being widely mocked in hundreds of calls and letters to state officials, newspaper editors and radio talk shows.

In the mid-1990s, after the current plate design was unveiled, it was panned by critics as dull and lacking visual impact. But DOT officials went ahead and made produced them anyway with the idea of recognizing the importance of both rural and urban interests. They were the first new plates since 1985.

Reynolds' office has been involved in the process of designing the new license plate, which began while former Gov. Terry Branstad was still at the Capitol, according to DOT officials. As many as 40 different designs were considered by the DOT's internal design team. Lowe said all of the work has been handled in-house within his agency at no additional cost to taxpayers.

DOT officials said they had received some creative designs and suggestions from the public that would have covered the entire plate. But those proposals were ruled out for public safety reasons because the primary purpose of a license plate is to help law enforcement and others clearly read the letters and numbers that identify a vehicle.

Full color graphics obscure the letters and numbers on a plate and reduce contrast, which makes it harder to read the plate when necessary, Lowe said. He pointed out that the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators maintains license plate design standards that are intended to make sure license plates are recognizable and legible. In general, the association recommends a high degree of contrast between the letters and numbers and the surrounding background, he said.

The new plates will be gradually installed on 4.2 million vehicles over a 10-year cycle to replace the existing plate design. The first new plates are expected to be issued sometime in 2018. However, all motorists will have the option of obtaining a newly designed plate by paying an extra $5 when they renew their vehicle registrations.

Materials for Iowa license plates are supplied by the Minnesota-based 3M Co. under a contract with the state. The plates are manufactured by inmates at the Anamosa State Penitentiary in eastern Iowa. A set of plates currently costs $3.64 to produce and deliver, and Lowe said he thinks the expense for the new plates will be about the same.

The new plates will still be made with the name of an Iowa county at the bottom of most plates, as required by state law. In addition, the configuration of letters and numbers will be the same.

What about college plates, other plates?

College plates representing Iowa's three state universities and  private colleges will still be available when the newly designed license plates are issued, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation. 

Similarly, Iowa Department of Natural Resources' plates and any other specialty plates that use a distinct design will not change. However, some plates that have an emblem on the left side of the plate that promotes a specific organization or cause will be produced over time with the new design, DOT officials said. The same will happen for so-called "decal" plates which allow a non-profit organization to produce and distribute a decal that can be affixed to the left side of the plate to promote an organization or cause.

Iowans will also continue to be able to order personalized plates,  DOT officials said.