A bill banning ballot drop boxes has passed one chamber of Iowa’s Legislature. On Tuesday, March 5, the House passed a new election bill that would eliminate drop boxes and adjust the deadline to cast absentee ballots.
State Republicans said the move will make elections more secure while Democrats argue the bill would make it harder for Iowans to vote.
The bill includes a provision that contrasts with Colorado, Maine, and Illinois by including language that secures Donald Trump’s spot on the 2024 presidential ballot.
Under the Iowa bill, there would be no more ballot drop boxes. Voters would need to mail in ballots, drop them off at U.S. Postal Service drop boxes or go to a polling location.
The bill also shifts the deadline for absentee ballots. The ballots would have to be returned the day before Election Day. Current law allows ballots to be returned on Election Day.
While the bill shortens the return date by a day, it allows absentee ballots to be sent out two days earlier than usual. The bill would also require absentee voters to include their voter identification number when returning ballots.
State lawmakers said 13,883 Iowans submitted their votes via ballot drop boxes in the 2022 election. Democrats argue the new bill would suppress votes, however, Republicans disagree.
“There has not been one argument provided for how this bill increases so-called election integrity,” Iowa Rep. Adam Zabner, D, said. “There has not been one argument provided for widespread voter fraud anywhere in the history of these changes that have made voting more restrictive. All we do know is it makes it harder for Iowans to vote.”
Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, the Republican lead sponsor of the bill, refuted Zabner’s claim.
“Voter suppression from these bills is a myth,” Kaufmann said. “This bill expands voting rights by 5%.”
Kaufmann said voters can still deposit ballots “in blue drop boxes that are in every city in every county in the state of Iowa,” referring to U.S. Postal Service mailboxes.
This bill also shields a presidential candidate’s position on Iowa’s ballot from challenges by other states that sought to prevent Trump from appearing. This week, the Supreme Court rejected those challenges.
The Iowa bill stipulates that a presidential candidate’s eligibility is determined solely by constitutional requirements, such as age, residency, and citizenship. States are prohibited from imposing additional requirements on candidates.
It also secures a candidate’s place on Iowa’s presidential ballot even if they are convicted of felonies. Trump currently faces 91 felony counts.
Iowa Sen. Jesse Green, R, supports the idea.
“On the surface, it would appear strange that a felon would run for president, but hey if we truly believe in our constitutional republic and our way of life, and how we elect our presidents, we’ve entered into some new territory here,” Green said. “I think we need to honor and respect our Constitution.”
This portion of the law, if it passes, would immediately go into effect while the ballot boxes portion would go into effect next year.
The bill moves to the Senate next where a similar version has already gained support. Iowa has a GOP-led House, Senate and a Republican governor, giving members an edge in potentially passing the legislation.