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    Protecting Election 2020 from Covid-19: A Toolkit for Iowa Activists

    If the Covid-19 pandemic continues into November, we will need to change our election practices to make sure voters don’t have to choose between their health and their right to vote. We have the solutions to make our elections both safe and accessible to all. And with this toolkit, you will know what reforms your state needs and where to focus your efforts.

    Last Updated: August 20, 2020
    Published: August 20, 2020

    This is part of the Brennan Center’s Toolkits for Activists Across the Nation.

    Jump to a section: 
    Political Context  |  What’s in Place and What’s Needed  |  Key Dates

    Administering an election under pandemic conditions requires undertaking steps to keep voting accessible, safe, and secure. The guide below lays out the problems Covid-19 poses, what preparedness measures Iowa has, and what changes are still needed. But first, we offer some political context for your advocacy.

    Advocacy Focus: Local Reform

    Local officials have a lot of responsibility over elections. They are a great place to focus advocacy efforts. Though state officials can make any of the changes in this toolkit, we highlight some examples of changes that local elections officials can also make with this symbol:🔸

    Political Context

    Below is a list of the relevant officials and information about the legislative session.

    Governor: Kim Reynolds (R)  

    Secretary of State: Paul Pate (R)

    Legislature: House (R) Senate (R)

    Legislative Session: The legislature last adjourned on June 14, 2020. Either the legislature or the governor can call a special legislative session.

    Local Elections Officials: In Iowa, county auditors share responsibilities for administering elections. You can look up individual county auditors here.

    What Iowa Has and What’s Needed

    Three priorities. There are three key areas where we need to shore up our elections systems for success during a pandemic: registration, mail voting, and in-person voting.

    Registration

    Covid-19 may disrupt the traditional ways Americans register to vote, like get out the vote drives or registering at government agencies. In the crucial weeks before the registration deadline, postal service disruptions may lead many registration forms to arrive at election offices after the deadline.

    Preparatory Measures Iowa Already Has Taken:

    • Online voter registration
    • Election Day voter registration

    Changes Still Needed:

    • Prepare to extend online and mail voter registration deadlines based on conditions in the state

    Voting by Mail

    Because of Covid-19, long lines and crowds at the polls pose health risks not seen in previous elections. Allowing every citizen to vote by mail reduces the number of people at the polls on Election Day and decreases the exposure risk to Covid-19.

    Preparatory Measures Iowa Already Has Taken:

    • All voters can vote by mail without an excuse
    • No notary or witness requirement for return of mail ballot
    • No ID requirement to vote by mail
    • Provides pre-paid postage for voting by mail
    • Sends absentee-ballot applications to all voters who have not yet applied

    Changes Still Needed:

    • Online tool for requesting an absentee ballot 
    • Accept late-arriving ballots postmarked by Election Day
    • Provide post-election notice and cure opportunity for defects on absentee-ballot envelope, including signature mismatch or missing signatures

    In-Person Voting

    Even with expanded mail voting opportunity, states cannot close polling places. To do so may disenfranchise voters without Internet and mail access, or those who do not wish to cast a ballot by mail. In-person voting must be done in accordance with health guidelines to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

    Preparatory Measures Iowa Already Has Taken:

    • In-person early voting

    Changes Still Needed:

    • Ensure sufficient polling places are open and resourced on Election Day🔸
    • Open more in-person early voting locations🔸
    • Take proper public health precautions to ensure safe polling places🔸
    • Hold training sessions for polling-place workers well in advance of Election Day, so that election officials can better anticipate problems with staffing and logistics🔸
    • Increase access to curbside voting at polling locations

    Advocacy Focus: Protecting Polling Places

    No matter how prepared Iowa is as a matter of policy, elections officials and advocates must stay vigilant about ensuring safe, healthy in-person voting is an option for everyone all the way through Election Day. Here are some important things to know about who makes decisions about polling places in Iowa and what rules govern the process:

    • Changes regarding polling places must be accompanied with a notice to the public, between 20 and 4 days before election day.🔸
    • In the event of an emergency that affects all precincts in a county, county election officials cannot reduce the number of polling places on election day by more than 35 percent, and polling places that remain open in a county are also required to be “equitably distributed based on the ratio of regular polling places located in unincorporated areas in the county to regular polling places in incorporated areas in the county.”🔸

    Key Dates for Iowa Elections

    • May 22, 2020: Voter Pre-Registration Deadline for the Primary Election
    • June 2, 2020: Primary Election Day
    • October 24, 2020: Voter Pre-Registration Deadline for the General Election
    • November 3, 2020: General Election Day