Fast-Tracked Bill Has One Goal: Make Voting Harder

All 39! is a group of Iowa volunteers diligently working to improve Iowa’s democracy. We are alarmed at a bill that will limit and actively discourage Iowans from voting. The necessity of such legislation is confusing, as there is no evidence of wide scale voting fraud in Iowa.

Senate Study Bill 1199 and House Study Bill 213 promoting voter suppression of Iowa citizens was introduced last Tuesday. It is scheduled to be debated in both chambers on Wednesday, February 24.

If passed, these proposals will impose a hardship on Iowa voters, especially for those who are elderly, have disabilities, or have conflicts with jobs or family that make it difficult to get to the polling place.

Here are ways these bills will make it harder for Iowans to vote: after an individual misses ONE general election, the county auditors will be forced to put the voter on inactive status; county auditors will no longer be able to establish satellite voting centers, rather these easily accessed locations must first be requested by petition; and auditors may only have one drop box for votes per county and those boxes must be housed on the grounds of the county courthouse. These bills also diminish the authority of duly elected officials–the county auditors, by banning them from sending an absentee voting form when requested.

Let us recognize what these are– bills to make it harder to vote and bills to weaken Iowans’ liberties and rights.

Signed by All 39! Steering Committee members,
Jan Flora
Anne Kinzel
Dilys Morris
Ralph Rosenberg
Mary Weaver
Barb Wheelock

Posted 2/22/21