Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law on Tuesday, shortening the window for mail-in and Election Day voting in the state.
The measure, which the GOP-led Iowa Legislature approved last month, will have polling places close at 8 p.m. instead of 9 p.m. and cut the period for early voting from 29 days to 20 days.
“It’s our duty and responsibility to protect the integrity of every election,” Reynolds, a Republican, said in a statement. “This legislation strengthens uniformity by providing Iowa’s election officials with consistent parameters for Election Day, absentee voting, database maintenance, as well as a clear appeals process for local county auditors. All of these additional steps promote more transparency and accountability, giving Iowans even greater confidence to cast their ballot.”
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Under the law, ballots have to arrive by the day of the election in order to be counted. Previously, ballots placed in the mail the day before the election could still be counted as long as they arrived by the Monday after the election.
The measure also stipulates that the only people allowed to turn in a ballot on behalf of another voter will be immediate family members, household members, or caregivers in an effort to combat what’s popularly known as “ballot harvesting.”
Critics say that Republicans are using the bill as a means to silence voters.
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“Today, Kim Reynolds and Iowa Republicans have made it more difficult for Iowans, especially seniors and those with disabilities, to be part of this process and have their voices heard,” Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Ross Wilburn said in a statement. “This isn’t about improving our election process, it’s about continuing the Republican Party’s outrageous lies and attacks on the democratic process across the country.”
Marc Elias, a Democratic elections attorney, told his followers to “expect litigation here and elsewhere GOP legislatures follow this path.”
