Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds Signs Controversial Bill Shortening Early Election And Election Day

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The legislation, passed last month by both Republican-controlled chambers of the state legislature, will cut the number of days for early voting from 29 to 20 days. It also closes polling stations an hour earlier on election day (at 8:00 pm instead of 9:00 pm).

The bill additionally imposes new restrictions on absenteeism, including prohibiting government officials from submitting applications without a voter requesting them first and requiring the ballots to be received by the county before the election close on election day. .

“It is our duty and responsibility to protect the integrity of every election. This legislation strengthens uniformity by providing Iowa election officials with consistent parameters for election day, absenteeism, database maintenance and a clear appeals process for local district auditors,” said Reynolds. . said in a statement Monday.

“All of these additional steps promote greater transparency and accountability, giving Iowans even more confidence to cast their vote.”

The new law immediately drew backlash from Democrats in the state, including a tweet from the Democratic Party in Iowa that said, “We deserve better.”

“Rather than helping Iowans keep food on the table and a roof over their families’ heads, @IAGovernor and Iowa Republicans opted instead for accelerated legislation that piles the deck in their favor and denies Iowans,” the tweet said
Democratic election attorney Marc Elias similarly called the law ‘the first major oppression law since the 2020 election’ in a tweet and noted that there could be a lawsuit.

The bill is part of a larger effort by GOP lawmakers across the country – including the battlefield states of Georgia and Arizona – to roll back voting rights in the wake of the 2020 election. The November election saw record early and mail-in voters, leading to unfounded claims of voter fraud from then-President Donald Trump and some of his fellow Republicans, ultimately leading to the deadly January 6 uprising.

According to a February analysis by the liberal Brennan Center for Justice, at least 253 bills were filed nationwide in 43 state legislatures this year with provisions that would limit access to votes – more than six times the number of bills for the same time last year. .

CNN’s Kelly Mena contributed to this report.

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