The state of Iowa is scheduled to receive $35 million through the Help Americans Vote Act (HAVA). The first $5 million comes with no strings attached. For the remaining $30 million, all we need to do is appropriate $1.5 million from the state budget toward HAVA — this is roughly 5 percent of the federal funding.

The Republican-controlled state legislature passed legislation this past session to bring Iowa into compliance with HAVA.The problem: The bill passed by the legislature refused to appropriate the required matching funds. The bill also included provisions restricting voter access by shortening poll hours, limiting the time a person can request an absentee ballot and requiring an ID for first-time registration (which violates the federal HAVA). For these reasons, Governor Vilsack vetoed the Iowa version of HAVA.

If Iowa does not appropriate $400,000 by October, we lose $8 million of the $30 million.

Where will the $30 million required to bring Iowa into HAVA compliance come from? Property and income taxes. This money has already been collected from Iowans by the federal government, but our Republican legislature is making us pay it again by refusing to appropriate our small portion.

Joel Taylor

Junior

Political Science