Iowa House approves stricter election laws and recounts

The Iowa House has passed two bills that change the state's election laws. The first bill focuses on voter roll verification and has been introduced by Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate. It prohibits ranked choice voting and sets higher requirements for political parties. The bill also allows Pate's office to work with federal and state agencies to verify voter registration. This move came after a controversial guidance issued by Pate during the 2024 election, which raised questions about the voting rights of individuals identified as "potential noncitizens." Pate confirmed that some noncitizens voted in the 2024 election, prompting the need for stricter verification procedures. Representative Austin Harris emphasized the importance of addressing noncitizen voting, arguing that even a small number of illegal votes could significantly affect election results in Iowa. He pointed out that recent close elections were decided by very few votes. The second bill, which passed with a wider margin, sets new rules for election recounts. It allows a recount to be requested when the vote difference is within 1% or 50 votes, whichever is less. Candidates must now make recount requests sooner than before. The state will cover recount costs if the margin is within 0.1%, which is tighter than the current law. However, some Democrats expressed concerns about changes in how recount boards are formed. The new system would consist mainly of county election staff and limit the direct involvement of candidates. Critics worry this might lead to mistrust in the election process, especially if county auditors manage recounts in their own elections. Harris defended the changes, asserting that county auditors are trusted to conduct elections and recounts.