22 Legally-cast, Uncounted Votes Will Put Hart Ahead by Nine Votes
Iowa law requires absentee voters to sign their absentee ballot envelope and that’s exactly what Johnson County voter Nasr Mohamed Nasr did when he cast his vote for Iowa’s Second Congressional District. Significantly, Iowa law does not mandate where on the envelope the voter must sign, nor does it authorize election officials to reject an absentee ballot based on where the signature appears on the envelope. In the November 2020 General Election, Nasr voted by absentee ballot and signed his name in a blank space on the envelope. Mr. Nasr then returned his absentee ballot to Johnson County ahead of the required deadline.
Later, Mr. Nasr’s absentee ballot was rejected not because it lacked a signature but because his signature was in the blank space rather than on the signature field. That’s illegal.
“I want my vote to be counted. I took all the necessary steps to cast by vote and signed the affidavit envelope. The affidavit envelope states, ‘If this affidavit envelope is not signed. . .your ballot cannot be counted.’ My ballot envelope was signed. It should be counted.” said Johnson County voter Nasr Mohamed Nasr.
Following an initial state recount process that left thousands of ballots in question, Iowa Second Congressional candidate Rita Hart filed a Notice of Contest with the U.S. House of Representatives which details 22 legally-cast ballots like Mr. Nasr’s that were unlawfully excluded from the state-certified results. To read the full Notice of Contest click here. Mr. Nasr’s affidavit can be found on page A-94.
The Iowa Democratic Party is highlighting those 22 uncounted voters to emphasize the U.S. House’s responsibility to ensure that every Iowan’s voice is heard. The project comes as several of the disenfranchised voters have spoken out, demanding that their votes be counted.