Monday, October 5 was the first day for early voting in Iowa. In other words, it's go time. Time to voice your opinion with your vote. Time to set the course for our country's and our state's future. It's time to make your mark!
This issue is focused on voting basics. We want you to have the information you need to participate in this historic election. We want you to know the voting options you have and where to find information about the people on the ballot. When Iowans with disabiltiies vote, our elected officials will take note.
It's your turn to decide, and we want to make sure every voter with a disability has the chance to cast a vote. Contact the Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council if you have any questions about voting (800-452-1936).
There has been a lot of talk about voting in the news, but it is important to note that each state decides how to conduct its elections. Iowa has always been a leader in its elections and our county voting officials, called county auditors, are there to help you make your mark.
During last week's Make Your Mark 2020 Conference legislative panel, Republican and Democratic elected officials all said Iowa's voting system is safe and secure, including mail-in voting. They advised people who are nervous about COVID-19 or getting to the polls on Election Day to take advantage of Iowa's easy vote by mail or in-person early voting options. Iowa's Secretary of State Paul Pate has also said voting by mail is safe and secure, and is the safest way to vote for those that have health conditions that put them at a higher risk for COVID-19. He urges Iowans to #votesafe.
"The primary showed us how well we can actually do this...we had large turnout with every few hiccups. Everyone wants tis to work in the State of Iowa, and our county auditors have put in the extra time to make voting as accessible as possible. You should be very comfortable in voting early and with the absentee process." Sen. Amanda Ragan (D-Mason City)
"Senator Ernst, before she served in the Senate, was the county auditor for Montgomery County. As she's said many times, she believes our election system is safe and scure, and absentee is a perfectly valid way to vote if you want to do that." John Hollinrake, Regional Director for US Senator Joni Ernst
So don't pay attention to the social media trolls that are trying to make you doubt the system. They just want to lower voter turn out. Your vote is safe whether you choose to vote in-person on Election Day, in-person early, or by mail from your home. If you want to make sure your vote counts, make a plan now. If that plan includes voting by mail, you will need to make sure you request that ballot soon, fill it out, and send it back quickly. Election Day is right around the corner!
Iowans have several voting options, so pick the one that best meets your needs. Iowa weather in November is unpredictable; snow, ice, rain, and sunny warm weather, we've seen them all on past Election Days. If you have health conditions that put you at risk for COVID-19, you may also want to consider these options carefully. Who knows what a year like 2020 has in store for us on Tuesday, November 3, 2020 (Election Day). It is important that you make your plan to vote now, while you still have all of the options available to you.
***Before we start, make sure you are registered to vote, and your name and address are current.***
You can do that online here, or by contacting your county auditor.
You can also register to vote online here if you have an Iowa Driver's License or Non-Operator ID Card.
You only need to register to vote once; you do not need to renew it unless you have moved or changed your name.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
WORTHY OF REPEATING: One person, one vote. That's very important for our election system. If you requested to vote by mail, that is your official ballot. If you change your mind and decide to vote in person, you will need to bring the ballot with you to your precinct polling place and give it to the poll workers. They will void that ballot, and allow you to vote. Your other option is to take your vote by mail (absentee) ballot to your county auditor's office before 9 p.m. on Election Day (November 3). Do not drop your mail-in ballot in the mail on November 3 - it will not count.
Iowans with disabilities face many barriers when it comes to voting, so election officials have tried hard to address barriers by training poll workers and developing lists of rights that people have. You can see the Iowa DD Council/Iowans with Disabilities in Action handout on voting rights in English and Spanish here.
Voters will be asked to show an ID before voting. A voter without one of the approved forms of ID may have the voter’s identity attested to by another registered voter in the precinct or may prove identity and residence using Election Day Registration documents.
If you have been convicted of a felony under Iowa law, you will want to read this. Until recently, Iowa was the only state to take away the voting rights of Iowans convicted of any felony, for life. Governor Kim Reynolds changed that by signing Executive Order 7, which automatically reinstated voting eligibility for most Iowans with felony convictions who have completed their terms of sentence, including probation, parole, supervised release, and special sentences (like those that require placement on the sex offender registry).
This means as of August 5, 2020, most of Iowa's 50,000 individuals who have completed their felony sentences have regained their right to vote. There are some that did not - people convicted of a felony under Chapter 707 (murder, voluntary manslaughter, felony involuntary manslaughter, homocide, serious injury by vehicle) are not eligible for automatic restoration and must still apply to have rights restored. In these cases, the Governor will look at the case and determine whether rights should be restored.
Please Note:
The Iowa ACLU has put together excellent information in both English and Spanish written for individuals who either have had or want to have their voting rights restored here. The Secretary of State also has information here.
Having a guardian or conservator does NOT impact your right to vote. You are eligible to vote even if you have a guardianship or conservatorship set up. You do not need a guardian's permission to vote, and who and how you vote for is your choice!
In Iowa, a judge must specifically rule that you cannot vote in a special court hearing. This has been done so rarely that the county auditors could not remember a single case of this happening. Contact Disability Rights Iowa at (800) 779-2502 if you are told that you cannot vote by an election official or your guardian, or have other questions about this.
Let us take a moment to give some props to the Iowa Secretary of State's Office. They have done a great job encouraging Iowans with disabilities to vote, and providing an accessible set of resources to help get you ready. County auditors have also worked hard to make sure all poll workers understand your rights and their responsibiltiies to accommodate you when voting. So really, it's up to you to take that next step and vote!
You can find videos & more information on voting with disabilities at sos.iowa.gov/disabilities.html. This includes:
Now that you know how to vote, and you are getting your plan put together, now is the time to figure out WHO deserves your vote! You do not have to vote on every race or question on the ballot, but a little bit of research goes a long way. It is really important to do a little work to find out where the candidates stand on the issues you care about. You cannot always trust the political ads and the comments you see on social media. They can be misleading, so make sure you trust the sources of the information as you make your choices. Trusted news sources and candidate websites that outline their priorities are good starting points for information.
The following links will help you know more about some of the candidates on the ballot this year.
The Make Your Mark 2020 Conference went virtual this year with a series of Noon sessions that brought advocates with disabilities together with experts on various topics. The final session has always been a legislative panel co-moderated by Dave Price, a news reporter with WHO-TV and host of the political show The Insiders, and Brady Werger, self-advocate and Vice-Chair of the Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council.
Panelists included Sen. Amanda Ragan of Mason City, Rep. Ann Meyer of Fort Dodge, Rep. Chris Hall of Sioux City, and John Hollinrake representing US Senator Joni Ernst.
Sen. Amanda Ragan Rep. Ann Meyer Rep. Chris Hall John Hollinrake
As Dave Price began, "I think one of the coolest things about this every year is that there’s always a representative from the Democratic and Republican side, and over the years that I’ve agreed to do this, the elected officials don’t fake this stuff. This is stuff they really believe in.” Price went on to say “It definitely shows the individual commitment that you all have.”
You can get all the advice from our experts by watching the video. As Rep. Hall said, "Every person who votes is going to have an impact on the process. The most important thing is that you choose to vote and you go and exercise that constitutional right.” Rep. Ann Meyer added that voting was the great equalizer, "We all have exactly one vote, and this is the time to make it count." Sen. Amanda Ragan said a lot of work has gone into making voting easy, "Everyone wants this to work in Iowa, and our county auditors have put in the extra tie to make it as accessible as possible."
We had a special call-in from Sen. Mark Costello of Imogene, who dialed in from a familly trip. Sen. Costello told us that he wanted to participate even though he was on vacation because of his friendship with co-moderator Brady. "He has always been a good supporter of mine, so I want to be a good supporter of him," said Sen. Costello in a phone call before the panel. This is what happens when you self-advocate. You get to know your legislator, then you help them out. You help them, they want to help you. It's a simple formula, but few people do it. It's how advocacy is done - get to know your elected officials, stay in contact, and work with them to address the things that matter to you.
“I always try to listen and stay involved, and I appreciate that (Brady) stays in touch and invites me to things. I just want to let everyone know that I’m listening and trying to find solutions for you and see what we can do on the state level working with Senator Ragan and other Senators to see what we can do together,” said Sen. Costello.
Click here to download or view a formatted PDF version of this newsletter.