FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

CONTACT: press@iowademocrats.org

NEW REPORT: Iowa GOP Bans Absentee Ballot Drop Boxes During Health Crisis

Latest move to suppress record-breaking turnout comes as Iowa GOP is working to disenfranchise mail-in voters – gutting postal delivery and suing county auditors to make voting more difficult

DES MOINES — This morning, a new report revealed that Iowa’s Republican Secretary of State has banned county auditors from setting up absentee ballot drop boxes – the latest display of voter suppression from an Iowa GOP determined to disenfranchise voters during a global health crisis. Expanded absentee voting during the June primary election contributed to record-breaking voter turnout.

This is just the latest tactic in the GOP’s ongoing war on Iowa voters. Republican parties – including the Iowa GOP – are currently suing three Iowa counties to try to inhibit their vote-by-mail system. Earlier this month, President Trump even blatantly admitted he’s starving the postal service of funds and cutting services so that voters will be unable to hold Republicans accountable for their broken promises.

Many Iowa county auditors have used county drop boxes for years without any concern or hesitation from the Secretary of State. It wasn’t until over 80% of Iowa voters cast their vote by absentee ballot in this year’s primary that Iowa Republicans took issue with this step towards accessible voting — a clear sign that the GOP  is working to make voting as difficult as possible in a shameless, corrupt attempt to hang onto their seats at any cost.

“Republicans are terrified of being held accountable by voters for their broken promises,” said Iowa Democratic Party spokesperson Samantha Kennedy. “Rather than earning votes, they’re resorting to desperate suppression tactics that make voting less safe during a global pandemic and subverts the will of Iowans.”