Capitol Notebook: Iowa expands post-election hand-count reviews

Local elections officials will be required to perform hand-count reviews of two election results, instead of just one, under a new rule being implemented by the state’s top elections official.

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate announced Tuesday that all 99 counties will be required to conduct a hand count audit in two races following the Nov. 8 election. Previously, officials were required to conduct an audit in one race.

For the governor’s election, one randomly selected precinct in each county will hand count those votes. Those tallies will be compared to ballot tabulators to ensure an accurate vote count.

The Secretary of State’s Office will announce an additional campaign and randomly selected precincts in each county for another hand-count audit.

“This is being done to ensure Iowans of the integrity of the vote,” Pate said in a news release. “Our post-election audits consistently match the ballot tabulators perfectly. Adding another race to the process gives greater protection, transparency and security to the process. We want Iowans to know their vote counts.”

Pate, a Republican, in recent months has been trying to tamp down voting misinformation and disinformation, even as some of it comes from members of his own party. Pate’s office has been producing statements, videos and other information, including a dedicated “myth vs. fact” website, which pushes back on lies and distorted facts about elections in Iowa.

Pate is up for re-election, and is being challenged by Democratic Linn County Auditor Joel Miller, who alleges Pate has not done enough to refute politicians who spread election falsehoods.

New Iowa Supreme Court justice

David May will be sworn in as the newest justice on the Iowa Supreme Court during a public ceremony Nov. 18.

Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Susan Christensen will administer the oath of office to May in the Supreme Court courtroom in the Judicial Branch Building in Des Moines.

May will become the fifth justice appointed to the Iowa Supreme Court by Gov. Kim Reynolds, and the entire seven-member court will consist of Republican appointees. He replaces Justice Brent Appel, the last justice appointed by a Democrat, who earlier this year met the state-mandated retirement age.

May previously served on the Iowa Court of Appeals and as a district judge in Central Iowa.

AG investigating robocallers

Two voice service providers are being investigated over alleged involvement in illegal robocalls, the Iowa Attorney General’s Office announced.

The national Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force is enforcing investigations into Michael Lansky LLC — doing business as Avid Telecom — and One Eye LLC, according to Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller.

“When states formed the national Anti-Robocall Task Force, we promised to take the fight to anyone who helps these scammers and robocallers. With these investigations, we’re doing just that,” Miller said in a news release.

The national task force, which was launched in August, investigates and takes legal action against telecommunications companies that are responsible for bringing a majority of foreign robocalls in the U.S., Miller’s office said.