By Dave Bradley, West Liberty
Rita Hart has filed a challenge to the micro-sized win by temporary congress member Mariannette Miller-Meeks in the U.S House. This is in accordance with the rules for settling election disputes at that level.
Miller-Meeks claims Hart’s challenge is illegal. It seems like that claim is bogus on its face if that is one of the ways that are offered as resolutions for such disputes. Yet Miller-Meeks uses the tried and true Republican strategy of making a claim, no matter how dubious, and then repeat it over and over until people become convinced that statement, true or not, is the answer.
In this case Miller-Meeks current 6 vote lead seems very dubious especially in light of the revelation of 22 ballots which were quite legal and above board that were never counted. There was also the revelation of inconsistent methods during the recount.
Even beyond those two discrepancies, there are concerns that not all ballots from armed forces personnel were counted.
All these discrepancies could easily be fixed by having the House conduct a recount that includes all valid ballots no matter how cast, counted in a uniform way.
This is all the Hart campaign seeks – a full recount conducted in a fair and uniform manner. This is what citizens of Iowa’s second district should also want so they too would feel comfortable that the real elected official is the one seated as our representative.
