Hey folks: Big news out of Iowa that will have a major impact on the 2018 election. Key parts of Secretary of State Paul Pate’s voter-ID law were blocked by the state’s Supreme Court on Friday! #IApolitics 1/
Passed in 2017, this law requires Iowans to show an ID in order to cast a ballot, includes a signature-matching requirement and makes voters include a state-assigned voter-ID number on absentee-ballot request forms. 2/
No part of Pate’s voter-ID law actually improves the integrity or security of elections in the state. In fact, approximately 200,000 Iowans lack the ID necessary to vote under this new law. It’s voter suppression, plain and simple. 3/
Let’s get into the weeds: A lawsuit challenging Pate’s voter-ID law led to Friday's decision, with the Court ruling that Iowa cannot enforce signature-matching requirements on absentee ballots & cannot require voters to include an ID # on absentee-ballot request forms in 2018 4/
The Court also upheld a lower court’s order that Pate cease misleading advertising about voter-identification requirements in the 2018 election. 5/
Unfortunately, Friday's order failed to block Pate's move shortening Iowa's early-vote period. Early voting will now last for 29 days instead of 40, which could make it harder for Iowans to vote. 6/
Several parts of Pate’s harmful voter-ID law have been blocked by the courts. That's good. Our boots-on-the-ground team is working every day to ensure politicians like Paul Pate who attempt to suppress the vote are held accountable on Election Day. 7/7
