Iowa Senate passes election-law changes

DES MOINES - Iowa senators approved GOP-backed election law changes Thursday that proponents say will improve election integrity but that critics insist will suppress turnout and raise costs to county taxpayers.

Majority Republicans made several changes to a House-passed bill before voting 26-21 to pass House File 516 and return it to the House for consideration.

The bill was opposed by 20 minority Democrats and Ocheyedan independent Sen. David Johnson.

'The bill would require all voters voting at the polls to provide proof of eligibility, as well as all absentee ballot requests to contain a personal voter identification number on the request form,” said Sen. Roby Smith, R-Davenport, the bill's floor manager.

'The public realizes that they have to show their photo ID to get on an airplane, buy a beer or open a checking account. This legislation is common sense,” he said.

Democrats countered that the bill would put up barriers to elderly, disabled, minority and other Iowa voters that would discourage participation in a fundamental American right. They argued it would increase costs to the state and counties and create unintended consequences in a state with a track record of clean elections with high participation rates.

They also said it likely would trigger a legal challenge.

'I think it's an unnecessary political document,” said Sen. Tony Bisignano, D-Des Moines.

Sen. Pam Jochum, D-Dubuque, called the bill 'a very expensive solution in search of a problem.”

Smith countered by pointing to 27 cases of first-degree election misconduct in the past five years and eight instances where people voted twice as evidence of a problem.

'We have voter fraud in Iowa, that is a fact,” he said. 'With so many close elections in the past, including members of this chamber (who won by 22, 17 and 10 votes in three races), we need to do everything we can to prevent fraud and this bill has safeguards.”

Sen. Nate Boulton, D-Des Moines, dismissed Smith's fraud contentions, saying 'there is not a boogie man out there,” while Johnson called the election bill 'a farce” that was not for the people's interests but rather for special interests.

'This isn't a welcoming place right now, this 87th General Assembly,” Johnson said.

House File 516 would make several changes to state election administration, including voter registration, absentee voting and requiring voters to present an ID to vote.

Other provisions would eliminate the option for voters to check a single box for straight-party voting, put money toward helping precincts purchase digital poll books, and establish post-election audits.

Also, the bill would provide for technology upgrades and additional poll worker training for consistency throughout the state and provide additional resources for those system upgrades.

Republicans made changes that would reduce the time for sending out absentee ballots before an election from 40 days to 29; would allow teenagers who turn 18 by the general election to vote in the earlier primary; and would establish four-digit voter ID cards.

Sen. Tod Bowman, D-Maquoketa, offered an amendment to strike the entire bill and replace it with a voter identification verification process, but his proposal lost 27-20.

'This is something Iowans want,” Smith said. 'This is something that we have delivered for them to make sure that elections are fair,” Smith said.