22 Legally-cast, Uncounted Votes Will Put Hart Ahead by Nine Votes
Johnson County voter Joshua Reyes-Torres believed in the importance of participating in the 2020 election and he felt that the safest and most convenient way to make his voice heard during this pandemic was to cast his vote by absentee ballot. So Reyes-Torres took the necessary time and steps to request his ballot, fill it out, seal it, and return the ballot in time to be counted. However, he is one of 22 voters whose legally-cast ballots were never counted in the race for Iowa’s Second Congressional District.
Mr. Reyes-Torres followed the law and cast his ballot so his voice could be heard in this election. Wrongfully excluding his ballot silences his voice in one of the closest federal contests in the last one hundred years.
“I sealed my absentee ballot in the official envelope provided to me by the county. I placed my official envelope in the mail myself. I want my vote to be counted,” he said.
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. Reyes-Torres’ that were unlawfully excluded from the state-certified results. To read the full Notice of Contest click here. Mr. Reyes-Torres’ affidavit can be found on page A-99.
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.
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