(Undated)– While they pore over the changes, some county auditors in Iowa still have reservations about a new law that drastically alters several of the state’s election procedures. Governor Kim Reynolds recently signed a bill that among other things reduces the early voting period from 29 days to 20 days. It also shortens the window for requesting absentee ballots. Sioux County Auditor Ryan Dokter says any time there’s a change, it can produce a challenge because you have to re-educate voters. But he says the absentee provisions could put even more more of a strain on election staffs…
| “When you start shortening windows, that mean’s we’ll need more people to process the voters in an efficient manner. “ |
Dokter, who’s also president of the Iowa State Association of County Auditors, says there’s concern about language threatening auditors with fines and jail time if they don’t comply with the law. Generally, he says that’s not something these officials willfully do. That change was spurred by a handful of auditors last year sending out pre-filled absentee ballot request forms. Supporters of the changes say they’re meant to restore integrity in the election system. But the law is being challenged in court by a Latino civil rights group, which calls the move unconstitutional.
Buena Vista County Auditor Sue Lloyd says they will get the job done, but adds it might be harder for smaller offices to deal with absentee demand, especially in a presidential election. And she questions the fairness of putting auditors in the spotlight over what some describe as a politically motivated law…
| “We’re here to do our job regardless of whether we’re Republican or Democrat. We’re doing the best we can. We want fair elections. We want to help the voters as much as we can to make sure that they have their right to vote. “ |
She also worries about restrictions on drop boxes and satellite voting and how it will impact her county’s operations. Voters’ rights groups also worry about limiting access to marginalized voters. Despite his concerns, Dokter says there are a few provisions that might be helpful to offices, including closing the polls at 8 p.m. instead of 9. He says that helps since election workers tend to be older.
(Courtesy Iowa News Service)
