By Holly Hart, Iowa City
As a long-time voting-integrity advocate, I am struck with the incongruity of the way recent elections have unfolded. Despite attempts to overturn the Nov. 3 presidential vote, it’s been determined that the national elections were conducted without fraud and error. This signals a welcome achievement in the recent history of national elections, something of which Americans should be proud.
Meanwhile in Iowa’s Second District, we find that a number of legally cast ballots were improperly excluded from the official recount. How could this embarrassment be allowed? Iowa’s recount laws are supposedly among the best in the nation.
While not contesting the validity of these votes, Marianette Miller-Meeks’ attorney has argued Rita Hart did not exhaust her state options for resolving the dispute. There is no legal requirement to exhaust other remedies before proceeding under the federal statute. The U.S. House Administration Committee is exactly where this close contest should be resolved.
Failure to evaluate and count legally cast ballots is deliberate voter disenfranchisement. Let’s uphold Iowa’s reputation for fair play: count all the votes.
