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Iowa Institutes Voter ID Law, Shortens Early Voting Time
In early May without much national attention, Iowa signed into law a measure that overhauls their state election laws. Republicans claim the changes will prevent (non-existent) voter fraud while Democrats argue it will suppress votes. It is the classic and repeated Republican playbook for voter suppression based on the repeatedly disproven, yet believed, lie that there is a voter fraud issue in the U.S.
Beginning with the June 2018 gubernatorial primaries, all voters will need to show a driver's license, non-operators' ID, military ID, passport or a new state-issued voter ID card. If voters don't have proper ID, they'll be asked to cast a provisional ballot.... In addition to requiring identification at the polls, the law shortens the time period for early voting, eliminates the checkbox for straight-party voting and begins implementing new technology at polling locations.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 34 other states have enacted laws requesting or requiring some form of identification on Election Day. But courts in some states have struck them down, saying they are discriminatory.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa, which lobbied against the bill, issued a statement saying it is considering litigation to stop the law from moving forward. “Today, voting in Iowa just got more difficult and more complicated," Executive Director Mark Springer said in the statement. "With Gov. Branstad signing this outrageous voter suppression bill into law, tens of thousands of Iowa eligible voters will be harmed."
Please see additional important posts on voter ID law and voter suppression at this link.
We must view these laws and the recent executive order to address non-existent voter fraud for what they are: a dictator's playbook, supported not just by Trump, but by a Republican Party determined to hold onto power at all costs.