House Debates Paper Bill TODAY
The Iowa House of Representatives has scheduled a debate this afternoon on the paper trail issue. But there is a catch.
Deputy Secretary of State John Hedgecoth told a radio audience this morning that the paper trail bill–which is supported by Secretary Culver–will be unwisely linked to a bill requiring voters to present photo identification.
Hedgecoth said the issues are distinct and he urged the legislators to vote separately on the two questions. He pointed out that elderly voters who no longer drive cars may not have a photo ID card. He also said tying the two ideas into a single piece of legislation makes for an uncertain future for the bill. On the other hand the paper trail bill alone could easily be enacted yet this week, he claimed.
The politics here are obvious. There is overwhelming public support for voter verified paper trails in electronic voting. The idea also has research evidence to back it up.
There is much less support for carding voters like young beer buyers and hardly any evidence to buttress the case for it. People in Iowa do not impersonate other voters. When asked for evidence by members of Iowans for Voting Integrity, the Representative advocating ID cards failed to cite any. So proponents of tough ID laws are hoping to hitch a ride from good government activists and computer scientists.
So the legislature should give SF 351 an up-or-down vote as Hedgecoth recommends. Iowa should close this loophole in its election integrity.