The 89th Iowa General Assembly, pending the governor’s signature, passed an election reform measure that aims to reduce the time allowed to vote.

Iowa House District 20 Representative Ray Sorensen says it’s normal for the legislature to review election practices, and that the 2020 election cycle exposed some issues they wanted to address.

“We’re tasked up there with continuing to guard the sacred rite of voting. Our goal is ‘How can we make it easy [to vote], but hard to cheat?’ It’s a balance. In my opinion, 18 days is plenty of time to vote. I know that because it sets us right in the middle of the country. That national average is somewhere between 18 and 19 days. There are many states with five days before, ten days before and some states, you just vote on Election Day.”

The bill reduces the number of early voting days from 29 to 20 and Sorensen adds that the bill will ensure Iowans can keep faith in the election process, and that 95-percent of county auditors have nothing to fear from the bill. He points out one measure he appreciates is that the bill provides auditors the ability to appeal infractions from the Secretary of State’s office to have those removed from their permanent records.