A concerned Iowan reached out to Sen. Joni Ernst with thoughts on election integrity. Ernst wrote the Iowan back, thanking him for his message.
Ernst said that it is indeed critical that the United States conducts fair and safe elections “protected from the influence of any foreign entity.”
She pointed to the Senate Appropriations Committee’s approval of $250 million in funds to support efforts to strengthen election security by state and local governments.
“I believe this is a good and important step in ensuring the integrity of our elections in the future,” Ernst said of the Sept. 19, 2019 decision.
Ultimately, though, Ernst said that it is the states that have the power to control their election process under Article I of the Constitution.
“While I support efforts to safeguard our elections, the right of individual states to administer the election process must be protected,” Ernst said. “Congress can, and must, play a supporting role to ensure that these elections remain free and fair.”