The Iowa Legislative Council unanimously approved an emergency directive to give Iowans living overseas the option of returning ballots electronically for July 7 special elections, but not without first returning to a partisan debate lawmakers had in the final hours of their June session.
The approval was needed because of a change legislators made in House File 2486 requiring the Secretary of State to get the council’s approval before changing the conduct of an election during an emergency, such as the coronavirus pandemic.
The global pandemic has disrupted international mail distribution, raising concerns that Iowans living abroad, including those serving in the armed forces, could not receive and return ballots on the usual timeline, according to Secretary of State Paul Pate. The directive is identical to a provision in one of Pate’s emergency directives for the June 2 primary.
The July 7 special elections covered by the council’s action Wednesday include filling vacancies on the Cedar Falls
City Council and the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors.
Although the secretary’s directive was approved 22-0, the panel of 24 legislative leaders split along party lines when Sen. Pam Jochum, D-Dubuque, offered an amendment to have the secretary use federal CARES Act funds to send an absentee ballot request form to every registered voter ahead of the November general election.