Idiotic:
Iowa House Republicans passed legislation Tuesday that would again constrain the time period and options for early voting in Iowa elections.
The House voted 62-35 to pass House File 2610, with all Republicans in support and all Democrats opposed. The bill now heads to the Iowa Senate, which has advanced a companion bill out of committee.
The bill makes changes to state elections law that would limit challenges to federal candidates’ placement on the ballot, create an earlier deadline for absentee ballots to be received by local elections officials, ban absentee ballot drop boxes and ban ranked choice voting, among other changes.
Democrats vehemently opposed the bill, arguing it would make it harder for certain Iowans to cast a ballot. Republicans said the bill aims to maintain the highest level of election integrity in Iowa.
He said several states, including Colorado, New York, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Maryland and Connecticut, have more restrictive laws.
“This bill expands voting rights by 5 percent. It gives Iowans more time to vote,” Kaufmann said during debate. “It ensures that our vote remains the most secure in the country. And, thank goodness, it prevents activists from deciding who is on the ballot. It prevents activist from subverting the will of the people.”
Representatives for county auditors, the League of Women Voters and AARP Iowa opposed the bill, saying it would make it more difficult for older Iowans and people with disabilities to return their ballots. They also said it has become a constant struggle to educate Iowans about new voting rules and deadlines.
Lawmakers in recent years have shortened Iowa's early voting period and stripped auditors of much of their discretion in running elections in their counties, including restricting their ability to establish satellite in-person early voting sites and mail out absentee ballot request forms.
Rep. Adam Zabner, D-Iowa City, and other Democrats said instances of voter fraud in Iowa are exceeding rare to necessitate such changes to the state’s election laws.
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The wife of a Northwest Iowa county supervisor was convicted by a federal jury in November of 52 counts of voter fraud in a scheme to stuff the ballot box in her husband’s unsuccessful race for a Republican nomination to run for Congress in 2020.
“There has not been one argument provided for how this bill increases so-called election integrity,” Zabner said. “There has not been one argument provided for widespread voter fraud anywhere in the history of these changes that have made voting more restrictive. All we do know is it makes it harder for Iowans to vote.”
Under the bill, absentee ballots would have to be received by the county auditor by the close of business on the day before Election Day to be counted — one day earlier than the current law. Now, ballots received by the time polls close on Election Day are eligible to be counted.
Auditors would be able to begin mailing out absentee ballots two days earlier to compensate for the earlier deadline. That would give Iowa voters an additional day to mail back absentee ballots. In-person early voting still would begin 20 days in advance of an election.
The bill also would require absentee voters to include their voter identification number when returning their ballots. Current law requires voters to provide those numbers only when they submit a written request for a ballot.
The measure would set new requirements for absentee ballot envelopes, which the Iowa State Association of County Auditors says would require counties to incur significant costs by buying new envelopes. A fiscal note by the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency estimates the cost increase statewide for new envelope printing at $800,000 for presidential election years and $286,000 for midterm election years.
Kaufmann said absentee ballot drop boxes no longer are needed with the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency. COVID-19 severely disrupted elections in 2020. State voting systems were overwhelmed by long lines and an influx of absentee ballot requests, leading to the use of drop boxes.
Kaufmann said Iowa voters still could deposit ballots “in blue drop boxes that are in every city in every county in the state of Iowa” — referring to U.S. Postal Service mailboxes.
He also asserted having “documentable proof” that ballot drop boxes were installed in an alley, a Hy-Vee and outside a courthouse. “That is not secure,” Kaufmann said.
Voting rights activists and county election officials, however, note mail delivery may be delayed and take days, whereas a drop box lets voters know for certain their absentee ballots have been received.
The bill also would prohibit Iowa-based ballot challenges like the one in Colorado that sought to remove former President Donald Trump from the ballot over claims he incited an insurrection. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this week in a unanimous decision that Trump could remain on the ballot.
Candidates for federal offices could be challenged only on U.S. constitutional requirements on age, residency, citizenship and whether their nominating papers meet all the legal requirements. Iowans could still challenge Trump's eligibility in court.
The bill also would remove a rule that federal candidates must sign a statement indicating they are aware they are disqualified from holding office if they have been convicted of a felony. Trump faces 91 felony charges in four criminal cases.
Kaufmann, who served as a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 Iowa caucus campaign, said legal activists should not be deciding who is eligible to be on the ballot.
Iowa City’s Zabner said such new restrictions on absentee voting could prevent thousands of Iowans from having their ballots counted.
He said 13,883 Iowans during the 2022 general election returned their ballots via an absentee ballot drop box that are secured and monitored around the clock. And 3,000 Iowans returned absentee ballots on Election Day.
About 150 ballots that would have been valid under previous Iowa law were not counted due to new restrictions on absentee voting enacted in 2021, he said.
Rep. Amy Nielsen, D-North Liberty, proposed an amendment to make voting easier and more accessible — including automatic voter registration, expanding early voting to 45 days, allowing county auditors to begin counting absentee ballots earlier, making it harder to remove people from voter rolls, expanding use of ballot drop boxes and allowing counties discretion to establish satellite voting locations.
The amendment was defeated by Republicans on a party-line vote.
“I have yet to heard any kind of argument or example of how drop boxes are not providing integrity in our elections,” said Rep. Heather Matson, D-Ankeny. “To me, that’s a false argument. … I think it’s a terrible idea, in my opinion. What we should he doing is making voting easier; not harder. What we should be thinking about is civic engagement and ways in which we want people to participate in this country.”
www.thegazette.com
Iowa House Republicans passed legislation Tuesday that would again constrain the time period and options for early voting in Iowa elections.
The House voted 62-35 to pass House File 2610, with all Republicans in support and all Democrats opposed. The bill now heads to the Iowa Senate, which has advanced a companion bill out of committee.
The bill makes changes to state elections law that would limit challenges to federal candidates’ placement on the ballot, create an earlier deadline for absentee ballots to be received by local elections officials, ban absentee ballot drop boxes and ban ranked choice voting, among other changes.
Democrats vehemently opposed the bill, arguing it would make it harder for certain Iowans to cast a ballot. Republicans said the bill aims to maintain the highest level of election integrity in Iowa.
He said several states, including Colorado, New York, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Maryland and Connecticut, have more restrictive laws.
“This bill expands voting rights by 5 percent. It gives Iowans more time to vote,” Kaufmann said during debate. “It ensures that our vote remains the most secure in the country. And, thank goodness, it prevents activists from deciding who is on the ballot. It prevents activist from subverting the will of the people.”
Representatives for county auditors, the League of Women Voters and AARP Iowa opposed the bill, saying it would make it more difficult for older Iowans and people with disabilities to return their ballots. They also said it has become a constant struggle to educate Iowans about new voting rules and deadlines.
Lawmakers in recent years have shortened Iowa's early voting period and stripped auditors of much of their discretion in running elections in their counties, including restricting their ability to establish satellite in-person early voting sites and mail out absentee ballot request forms.
Rep. Adam Zabner, D-Iowa City, and other Democrats said instances of voter fraud in Iowa are exceeding rare to necessitate such changes to the state’s election laws.
ADVERTISING
The wife of a Northwest Iowa county supervisor was convicted by a federal jury in November of 52 counts of voter fraud in a scheme to stuff the ballot box in her husband’s unsuccessful race for a Republican nomination to run for Congress in 2020.
“There has not been one argument provided for how this bill increases so-called election integrity,” Zabner said. “There has not been one argument provided for widespread voter fraud anywhere in the history of these changes that have made voting more restrictive. All we do know is it makes it harder for Iowans to vote.”
What does the bill do?
Under the bill, absentee ballots would have to be received by the county auditor by the close of business on the day before Election Day to be counted — one day earlier than the current law. Now, ballots received by the time polls close on Election Day are eligible to be counted.
Auditors would be able to begin mailing out absentee ballots two days earlier to compensate for the earlier deadline. That would give Iowa voters an additional day to mail back absentee ballots. In-person early voting still would begin 20 days in advance of an election.
The bill also would require absentee voters to include their voter identification number when returning their ballots. Current law requires voters to provide those numbers only when they submit a written request for a ballot.
The measure would set new requirements for absentee ballot envelopes, which the Iowa State Association of County Auditors says would require counties to incur significant costs by buying new envelopes. A fiscal note by the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency estimates the cost increase statewide for new envelope printing at $800,000 for presidential election years and $286,000 for midterm election years.
Kaufmann said absentee ballot drop boxes no longer are needed with the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency. COVID-19 severely disrupted elections in 2020. State voting systems were overwhelmed by long lines and an influx of absentee ballot requests, leading to the use of drop boxes.
Kaufmann said Iowa voters still could deposit ballots “in blue drop boxes that are in every city in every county in the state of Iowa” — referring to U.S. Postal Service mailboxes.
He also asserted having “documentable proof” that ballot drop boxes were installed in an alley, a Hy-Vee and outside a courthouse. “That is not secure,” Kaufmann said.
Voting rights activists and county election officials, however, note mail delivery may be delayed and take days, whereas a drop box lets voters know for certain their absentee ballots have been received.
Insulating Trump from challenges
The bill also would prohibit Iowa-based ballot challenges like the one in Colorado that sought to remove former President Donald Trump from the ballot over claims he incited an insurrection. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this week in a unanimous decision that Trump could remain on the ballot.
Candidates for federal offices could be challenged only on U.S. constitutional requirements on age, residency, citizenship and whether their nominating papers meet all the legal requirements. Iowans could still challenge Trump's eligibility in court.
The bill also would remove a rule that federal candidates must sign a statement indicating they are aware they are disqualified from holding office if they have been convicted of a felony. Trump faces 91 felony charges in four criminal cases.
Kaufmann, who served as a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 Iowa caucus campaign, said legal activists should not be deciding who is eligible to be on the ballot.
Democrats: Bill will make it harder to vote
Iowa City’s Zabner said such new restrictions on absentee voting could prevent thousands of Iowans from having their ballots counted.
He said 13,883 Iowans during the 2022 general election returned their ballots via an absentee ballot drop box that are secured and monitored around the clock. And 3,000 Iowans returned absentee ballots on Election Day.
About 150 ballots that would have been valid under previous Iowa law were not counted due to new restrictions on absentee voting enacted in 2021, he said.
Rep. Amy Nielsen, D-North Liberty, proposed an amendment to make voting easier and more accessible — including automatic voter registration, expanding early voting to 45 days, allowing county auditors to begin counting absentee ballots earlier, making it harder to remove people from voter rolls, expanding use of ballot drop boxes and allowing counties discretion to establish satellite voting locations.
The amendment was defeated by Republicans on a party-line vote.
“I have yet to heard any kind of argument or example of how drop boxes are not providing integrity in our elections,” said Rep. Heather Matson, D-Ankeny. “To me, that’s a false argument. … I think it’s a terrible idea, in my opinion. What we should he doing is making voting easier; not harder. What we should be thinking about is civic engagement and ways in which we want people to participate in this country.”
Iowa House passes bill to ban ballot drop boxes
Democrats vehemently opposed the bill, arguing it would make it harder for certain Iowans to cast a ballot. Republicans said the bill aims to maintain the highest level of election integrity in Iowa.
www.thegazette.com
