A fight is brewing in the Iowa Legislature over proposed new voting laws

Last week's statewide primary set a record for voter turnout and another record for the number of absentee ballots cast.

More than 411,000 people voted absentee last week, compared with around 38,000 people who voted absentee in the 2016 primary.

In Winneshiek County, a total of 4,126 ballots were cast, with 3,594 votes cast by absentee ballots.

A big factor in the much higher voter participation in this month's primary was the action by the Iowa Secretary of State's Office to mail every registered voter in Iowa a request form for an absentee ballot.

Republicans on a committee in the Iowa Senate have now approved a 30-page amendment to existing pending legislation which would prevent election officials from taking some of the same steps in November.

The approval by the Senate State Government Committee came late Friday night.  Davenport State Senator Roby Smith, a Republican,  said the amendments would ensure "safe, secure and reliable" elections, while State Senator Todd Taylor of Cedar Rapids called the legislation "nothing more than a voter suppression bill."

Now local Democrats are calling on supporters to contact local state legislators in an effort to block the legislation.  An e-mail from the Winneshiek County Democratic Party reads, "Iowa Senate Republicans have decided that it's too easy to vote.  Despite--or more likely, because of-- the success of GOP Secretary of State Paul Pate's effort to increase voting by mail during the primary, Republicans have introduced legislation to ban the Secretary of State from mailing Absentee Ballot Requests to all registered voters and remove voters from 'active' registration status if they miss one general election."

Democratic State Senate candidate Matt Tapscott, in an e-mail to supporters, asks the question, "What does it say if you have to 'fix the rules' to win?"

But the legislation isn't just attracting opposition from Democrats.  The Iowa Association of Counties is asking county officials to oppose the legislation, saying, "county auditors worked tirelessly to allow Iowans a free and fair primary election on Tuesday (and changes are unnecessary)."  The Iowa State Association of County Auditors has also issued a statement criticizing the changed legislation, with their board president, Scott County Auditor Roxana Moritz saying, "Counties experienced record or near-record turnout.  Election Day went very smoothly.  Results were rapidly available.  Why would the state want to cripple the process that led to such success?"

Meanwhile, on Tuesday U.S. Senator Charles Grassley--a Republican--issued a statement which said, "Iowa's successful primary election shows that the absentee ballot system already in place run by our county auditors is up to the task."

The measure has passed out of committee and must go before the full State Senate, then be sent over to the Iowa House for reconciliation.