While California’s governor and legislature work to get mail-in ballots to every voter in the state, Republicans in Iowa’s senate voted Thursday to prevent mailing applications for absentee ballots to all Iowa voters.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has issued two executive orders aimed at making voting safer and easier in light of the novel coronavirus pandemic. The first order issued at the beginning of May mandated that all registered voters receive a mail-in ballot, while the second order issued on June 3 allows counties to maintain in-person polling places for those voters who need assistance with voting; the order also expands the duration of early voting in the state. Both orders were immediately subject to several lawsuits filed by state Republicans who are challenging the governor’s ability to unilaterally change election procedures. The superior court judge in the last case has also issued a temporary restraining order, prohibiting the governor from making changes to in-person voting until the case can go to trial.
In response to these lawsuits, the California legislature, under Democratic control, has put forward two bills to give legislative backing to the governor’s orders. Assembly Bill 860, currently pending a vote on amendments, would codify mail-in voting by requiring all counties send mail-in ballots to all active, registered voters. The other legislation, Senate Bill 423, would give counties the authority to consolidate in-person polling places. Some Senate Republicans have voiced opposition to the first bill, claiming it could encourage vote fraud because it changes the period in which ballots must be received from within 3 days of election day to up to 17 days after election day. However, claims that absentee and mail-in voting lead to widespread vote fraud are highly exaggerated.
Meanwhile, the Republican-controlled Iowa Senate voted on Wednesday to abolish the secretary of state’s power to issue absentee ballot applications to every registered voter ahead of the November presidential election. The bill follows after Republican secretary of state Paul Pate sent applications to every registered voter in the spring to enable safe voting in the Iowa primaries on June 2. Over half a million Iowans voted in the primary, shattering a record that had been in place since 1994. The bill would require voters to request an application for an absentee ballot rather than simply receive an application as they did before the primary. Senators claimed that the measure would impose checks and balances upon the secretary of state and ensure safe elections.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds said she was “fine” with Pate’s decision to sent ballot applications to all registered voters. Regarding the pending legislation, she said that she would “wait and see where [legislators] end up” with it. The bill has moved to the House for a vote.
