Hatch will bring sanity, fairness

Gov. Terry Branstad knows the strategies developed by the Republican Governors Association include making it as difficult as possible for minorities, recent immigrants and the young to vote. This being Iowa, Branstad understood he couldn't use the tactics of the other governors (cutting preregistration time and the number of voting booths in minority precincts, shorten absentee balloting periods, demanding one or more kinds of identification etc.). But, Branstad saw an opening.

A predecessor (Tom Vilsack) ruled that prison inmates who have completed their sentences could have voting rights restored. Branstad, in his first day in office, reversed this rule. Now each newly-released person (potential Democrat) must apply personally to the governor for approval to vote again. A lengthy questionnaire and a fee also are involved.

Over his current term, more than 25,000 people were released; Branstad has OK'd fewer that 50. Then he assigned Secretary of State, Matt Schultz, to find voter fraud, especially in the ex-con population. Essentially no deliberate fraud was found. An outcome of Branstad's rule: one out of four minority adults cannot vote in Iowa, more than 3 times the national average. Let's vote for Jack Hatch, who will bring back sanity and fairness.

Kent Fuller

Riverside