Letter to the Editor: Make sure votes are properly counted

(The following Letter to the Editor has been submitted by Bob Puffer of Decorah):

"The United States is a 'republic,' a representative democracy relying on votes by constituents to choose who will represent them in making important decisions. If all valid votes are not counted then the "republic" system disintegrates.

29 votes in Iowa House District 55 have not yet been included in the final tally. If District 55 was another district that uses barcoded absentee ballot envelopes to indicate when the vote was sent through the US Postal Service, these votes would have been counted and each valid voter would have had their proper say at the polls. This kind of system wouldn't fly in Florida but maybe Iowa's not sophisticated enough to ensure the integrity of their voting process compared to Florida??

As Americans growing up in a representative democracy we should spend less time trying to disqualify eligible voters and a lot more time trying to encourage every qualified person to vote and making sure those votes are properly counted."