Every year an election bill comes up for debate in the Iowa legislature Democrats use the same talking point — new laws (laws intended to strengthen the INTEGRITY of the vote) will lead to lower turnout.
Yet every election, more people vote.
Voting laws have become a partisan issue. Republicans want to strengthen voting laws. And when I say strengthen, I mean they want to ensure the person voting is supposed to be voting and is the person they say they are.
This isn’t something overly restrictive. In fact, it is something Iowans do every week, if not every day. It would seem Iowans prove their identity somewhere along the way during their everyday life. Whether it is riding a plane, driving a car, buying a pack of cigarettes — the list goes on — there is comfort and security in knowing someone is who they say they are and can do what they are intending to do.
Why on earth wouldn’t we want our elections to be the same way?
Democrats do not want secure elections. They bash Republicans for every GOP effort to secure our elections. Democrats want it to be easy to vote.
I’m not so sure it should be and it has nothing to do with being a Republican or Democrat issue. Voting is one of the most sacred things we do as Americans. It is truly a gift we are blessed to have and has not come cheap.
We shouldn’t cheapen it by dumbing down the minimum requirements for figuring out how to vote.
Democrats continue to oppose Voter ID.
Democrats oppose all kinds of moves by Republicans to simply strengthen voting laws.
Why would anyone who wants an honest, fair election do that?
Listen, the solution shouldn’t be overly complicated. Election Day should be a national holiday. Early voting should be reserved for those who have a legitimate reason to vote early. If people do vote early, they should do so in person at the county auditor’s office. Everyone who votes should show an ID. Nobody should be handling that individual’s ballot unless an election official observes the handling of the ballot at all times.
It isn’t complicated. Never before has confidence in our election system been lower.
And the same party who — real or perceived — benefitted from “loose elections laws,” is the party fighting laws to strengthen our elections.
If Democrats really didn’t cheat in 2020, then why are they fighting changes to the system so vehemently?
If Democrats want Americans — all Americans — to have full confidence that their vote is counted, why are they fighting efforts to make sure that is the case?
If Democrats truly cared about “American democracy,” then why wouldn’t they do everything they could to work with Republicans on strengthening our voting laws?
The answer is obvious. It just might not be comfortable.
