Iowa Voting Machines Challenge
Republican National Committee v. Showalter
An anti-voting lawsuit challenging the security and accuracy of vote-counting machines.
Background
The Republican National Committee (RNC) brought a lawsuit against Black Hawk County, Iowa’s Auditor for not making public vote-counting machine information. The RNC contends that its observers were denied numbers on the tamper-evidence seals placed on voting machines after testing, after Iowa’s secretary of state told auditors that testing records are public. The auditor told the RNC prior to the suit that the numbers were confidential under a county resolution and a state provision. The RNC argues that Iowa state law provides a right to this information, and asks that the auditor produce the records.
Why it matters:
Filing days before the election puts the county election office under pressure during a busy week. Additionally, this is part of a GOP campaign to put doubt into voters minds about the accuracy of voting machines.
Latest Updates:
- Oct. 29, 2026: Plaintiff filed their complaint.