The Iowa Supreme Court has reversed a district court decision that cleared the way for election officials to distribute voter materials in languages other than English. Without directly addressing the merits of Iowa’s law restricting the dissemination of government records in languages other than English, the court found that the League of United Latin American […]
Voting Rights
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa House subcommittee advances bill restricting political party changes before caucuses, primaries
A House proposal would require Iowa voters to be registered with a political party one month in advance of that party’s caucuses or primary elections in order to participate. HF 353 would require voters who want to participate in a party caucus or primary to be a registered member of the party at least 30 […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Judge upholds state guidance to challenge ballots of potential noncitizens
A federal judge on Sunday upheld the Iowa Secretary of State’s guidance to challenge the ballots of more than 2,000 Iowans listed as potential noncitizens leading into the Nov. 5 election. The ACLU brought a lawsuit Wednesday on behalf of naturalized citizens and the League of United Latin American Citizens. It sought to block Pate’s […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowans will decide on two constitutional amendments in November
Iowa voters will not only cast their votes for candidates in the upcoming general election, but will also have the opportunity to decide if two measures are added to the state constitution. It’s one of the few opportunities Iowa voters have to weigh in directly on statewide public policy. In many states, voters will make […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Voters can now request absentee ballots for the first presidential election since Iowa’s 2021 restrictions
Registered voters in Iowa can now request absentee ballots for the November general election from their county auditor’s office. The first day auditors can mail the ballots to voters who have requested them will be Oct. 16, the same day early in-person voting begins. Printable absentee ballot request forms are available on the Iowa Secretary […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa HHS pledges to boost voter registration access for Medicaid applicants, but vague on details
Three months after Iowa Capital Dispatch reported that the state’s health department is likely violating federal voting law and leaving thousands of low-income Iowans off the rolls, the department has publicly acknowledged the problem but remains vague on the plan for fixing it. Multiple voting advocates told the Capital Dispatch in January that application and […]
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Self-styled ‘Iowa witch’ Kari Lake is hoping her MAGA mission from God will lead to D.C.
These days, Iowa-raised Trump ally Kari Lake is best known for losing — and refusing to concede — her 2022 bid for Arizona governor. But in May 2016, Lake was putting her journalism degree from the University of Iowa to good use, and even scored an interview with President Barack Obama. “I don’t remember at […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Brenna Bird continues crusade against non-English voting materials once fought by Steve King
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird is trying to prevent people from getting access to official voting forms – such as voter registration forms, absentee ballot request forms and ballots – in any language other than English. In June, a Polk County District Court judge struck down Iowa’s English-only restriction on voting materials that had been […]
Posted inElection Coverage
Election Day FAQ: Where to go and what to know before casting your ballot in Iowa
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8. The 2022 midterm election in Iowa includes races for local, state and congressional offices, in addition to a statewide ballot measure. Q: When are polls open on Tuesday? Also, where do I vote? A: Voting starts at 7 a.m. and ends at 8 p.m., although if you’re in line […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Where and when to vote, and what sort of ID you need for Tuesday’s election
Polls open for the 2021 city and school elections at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, but unlike past years, voting will end at 8 p.m. instead of 9 p.m. A series of new restrictions on voting Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law in March cut the amount of time available to cast a ballot on Election […]
Posted inCommunity/News
LULAC files lawsuit to overturn Iowa’s ‘English-Only Law’ for voting materials
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) of Iowa took legal action on Wednesday to overturn a 13-year-old court order that prevents 97 of Iowa’s 99 counties from providing official voting materials in any language other than English, regardless of whether a voter is proficient in English. The civil rights organization filed a petition […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Where and how to vote early, and what has changed since Gov. Reynolds signed new voting restrictions into law
Early voting for the Nov. 2 election began on Wednesday, as county auditors started mailing out absentee ballots requested by voters, and opened their offices for in-person early voting. This is the first election since Gov. Kim Reynolds signed new restrictions on voting into law in March. Iowa was one of 19 Republican-controlled states to […]
