• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / News / Legislative Council rehashes debate over absentee ballot forms

Legislative Council rehashes debate over absentee ballot forms

July 1, 2020 By O. Kay Henderson

The Iowa Legislative Council has agreed to let Iowa soldiers who are deployed overseas vote electronically in seven special elections scheduled next Tuesday — a step required by a new law forcing the secretary of state to get the legislative branch’s permission for some election-related decisions.

The panel of two dozen state senators and representatives also rehashed the debate over the law Republican lawmakers passed.

“We may turn the Legislative Council into a babysitting club of the secretary of state at the rate we’re going,” Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen said, “…If this group has to meet every single time there’s an election to determine the powers of his office, it’s simply ridiculous.”

Secretary of State Paul Pate sent absentee ballot request forms to every Iowan for the June 2nd Primary and there was record turn-out. Senate Republican Leader Jack Whitver of Ankeny said the new law is a rational way to ensure Secretary of State Pate doesn’t duplicate other efforts to send send absentee ballot request forms to Iowans for the November election.

“I think there’s a lot of scare tactics going on, like the legislature is preventing people from voting absentee and that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Whitver said. “The question is who’s in charge of voter turn-out. Is that the secretary of state’s job or is that the campaigns of President Trump and former Vice President Biden and all of us?”

Secretary of State Pate, a Republican, has not commented publicly on the new limits on his authority. He’s been tweeting this week about the record participation in the June Primary and today’s updated voter registration data. Pate has been the state’s top election official for 9.5 years and is currently the president of the National Association of Secretaries of State.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: News, Politics / Govt Tagged With: Democratic Party, Legislature, Republican Party

Featured Stories

DOT plow crews struggling against blizzard conditions

Iowa delegation breaks along party lines on Trump impeachment vote

Two northeast Iowa men admit to illegally harvesting ginseng

Do you have to pay tax on your stimulus check?

All six in Iowa’s congressional delegation confirm Electoral College results

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

Iowa State-Kansas postponed

Iowa-Michigan State postponed

Fire damage to Riverfront Stadium electrical system will cost Waterloo thousands

Iowa State at Kansas State postponed

Iowa State’s Foster to miss remainder of the season

More Sports

eNews and Updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives

Copyright © 2021 ยท Learfield News & Ag, LLC