Legislation that would restrict the ability of Iowans to vote is part of a national effort to suppress voter turnout, according to a report released by Progress Iowa.
The report, National Voter Suppression Efforts Come to Iowa, explains the impact of the law. It also lists states with similar or related legislative proposals.
“As troubling as the attacks on Iowa voters are, they are not unique to our state. Republican legislators are following a national playbook to suppress the vote and tilt future elections in their favor,” the report concludes.
It also lists actions people can take to try to convince their legislators to block the bill.
On Monday, the legislation was subject to a public hearing in Iowa’s House of Representatives. Yesterday, the Senate heard it, and today the House will discuss the bill.
“Most Iowans believe that for democracy to work for all of us, it must include all of us,” said Matt Sinovic, executive director of Progress Iowa. “It’s disappointing that Republicans would try to divide us by squelching the vote instead of celebrating people participating in our democracy. In order to move forward together, legislators must reject these attacks and govern as Iowans.”
Many people have said they expect it to pass through by the end of the week.
The legislation does a number of things to change Iowa’s elections and how people can vote. Progress Iowa’s report goes into detail on all of them.
Nikoel Hytrek covers the Iowa Legislature for Potluck. Previously she has reported for Iowa Starting Line, the Iowa Feminist and the Omaha World Herald.