River Bend Times

Scott County Auditor Roxanna Moritz is advocating for easy, accessible absentee voting in Iowa.

Iowa Senate Republicans recently passed a bill that would prohibit Secretary of State Paul Pate from mailing absentee ballot request forms to every registered voter unsolicited. This was done in the June primary to minimize the risk of coronavirus exposure and resulted in record voter turnout. 

Sen. Roby Smith introduced an amendment that would require anyone requesting an absentee ballot to provide voter identification. Pate would also be prevented from making changes to early and absentee voting in times of emergency, and county officials would not be allowed to limit polling locations to slow the spread of COVID-19. The bill would allow county election officials, campaigns and political parties to send absentee ballot request forms unsolicited. 

Moritz said Smith's bill would also purge voter rolls. 

"Let me make this clear: this legislation does not ban or limit voters to cast an absentee ballot," Smith said according to the Muscatine Journal. "This bill is about security. This bill is to make sure someone’s vote is not erased by someone that is not legally allowed to vote. More people will vote under this bill."