Iowa Governor Signs Sweeping Voter Suppression Legislation Into Law
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) signed sweeping Iowa election legislation that will severely limit access to the ballot into law on Monday afternoon, after it passed both Republican-held chambers of the Legislature. Advancing along party lines at every step of the process, Senate File 413 took less than two weeks to arrive at the governor’s desk, as Republicans hurried through slates of new voting restrictions after the 2020 elections. This is the first major voter suppression bill signed into law this year.
The law makes voting harder at every step of the process. Iowa Republicans have shortened early voting by nine days, cut the accepted time periods for absentee ballot requests and returns, limited drop box locations, shortened hours for in-person voting on Election Day, restricted acceptable methods of ballot return and blocked any ballots received after Election Day — even if they were mailed in time — from being counted. Iowa voters will also have their registration status changed to “inactive” after missing just one election.
Reynolds said in a statement upon the signing of S.F. 413 that “it’s our duty and responsibility to protect the integrity of every election.” Republican leaders across the state were unified in their effort to restrict and suppress the voices of Iowa voters.