A bill to make changes in Iowa’s early voting process for this year’s elections has cleared initial review in the Iowa House and will be considered in the House State Government Committee tomorrow.
For the past two years, absentee ballots had to be in a county auditor’s office by the time polls closed on election day. The bill moves that deadline up, to the day before the election, and adds new requirements for absentee ballot envelopes.
Adams County Auditor Becky Bissell, president of the Iowa State Association of County Auditors, told lawmakers the group opposes the bill “due to the unnecessary changes to the voting process and for making it more confusing and difficult for our voters along with the increased financial burden this would put on our counties,” Bissell said, “especially this year, when we are making cuts.”
Amy Campbell, a lobbyist for the League of Women Voters of Iowa and AARP, testified after Bissell at this afternoon’s House subcommittee hearing. “I also work with an organization that does turnout for voters with disabilities,” Campbell said. “The continual changes that happen every two years are adding to a lot of confusion for voters.”
The bill also wades into the national debate over attempts by officials in Colorado and Maine to bar Donald Trump’s name from the ballots in those states. Under the bill, federal candidates could not be disqualified from Iowa’s ballot due to a felony conviction.
“Individual states don’t get to play left or right wing politics with the ballot access,” said Representative Bobby Kaufmann, a Republican from Wilton who’s the bill’s floor manager. “…It is not our job to decide who is on the ballot. It is the voters’ job and it’s arrogant, frankly, for us to think we should overrule what they choose to do.”
Representative Adam Zabner, a Democrat from Iowa City, asked Kaufmann if he’d checked with the Trump campaign on that part of the bill, since Kaufmann worked on Trump’s Iowa Caucus campaign, then Zabner raised concerns about the absentee ballot changes.
“Are you concerned that on Election Day, voters won’t be able to turn in their ballots?” Zabner asked.
Kaufmann replied: “Do you think they’re stupid? Because I don’t.”
Representative Amy Nielsen, a Democrat from North Liberty, spoke next. “I really resent you telling that to Representative Zabner, asking him if he thinks voters,” Nielsen said and at that point in her sentence Kaufmann said: “He can defend himself.”
Nielsen replied: “Stop interrupting me,” and Kaufmann replied: “I didn’t interrupt you and this is my subcommittee and I’ll refer to anybody I want to refer to whenever I want to refer to it.”
Nielsen then walked out of the meeting and Zabner followed her out. Kaufmann spoke with reporters a few moments later. “If they can’t stay in the room and have an adult conversation, then good riddance,” Kaufmann said.
Zabner told reporters the bill makes perverse changes in early voting. “At the same time that we’re putting barriers in the face of Iowans who just want to exercise their basic rights, we’re making it easier for felons to run for president,” Zabner said.
A similar bill cleared a Senate subcommittee on Monday.