By Dan Gearino
Published March 21st 2007 in The Globe Gazette
DES MOINES — Iowa would join seven states that allow voter registration on Election Day under a bill passed Tuesday by the Iowa House.
The bill, which passed 54-45, would replace a system in which voters must register within 10 days of an election.
“It is time to remove arbitrary barriers to voting. Democracy in our country is dependent on the ability of all our citizens to participate in free and open elections,” said the lead sponsor, Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, D-Ames.
Republican opponents said the bill makes elections more vulnerable to illegal practices, such as college students voting multiple times.
“I have a worry that there is extreme potential for fraud with same-day voting,” said Rep. Clel Baudler, R-Greenfield.
The bill now heads to the Senate.
Voters who want to register on Election Day would need to present photo identification, which is not required when registering at other times.
Fraudulent voting is a felony, with a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $7,500.
Wessel-Kroeschell said there is no evidence to indicate widespread voter fraud in any of the states that have Election Day voting. Those states include Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
The Iowa bill is based on the one in Minnesota, which has been on the books since the 1970s.
In the election last November, states with Election Day registration had 49 percent turnout, compared to 38 percent in all other states, according to Demos, an advocacy group that works for greater voter participation.
The group lists Iowa as one of a dozen states that are now considering Election Day registration.
Dan Gearino can be reached at 515-243-0138 and [email protected].
The bill, which passed 54-45, would replace a system in which voters must register within 10 days of an election.
“It is time to remove arbitrary barriers to voting. Democracy in our country is dependent on the ability of all our citizens to participate in free and open elections,” said the lead sponsor, Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, D-Ames.
Republican opponents said the bill makes elections more vulnerable to illegal practices, such as college students voting multiple times.
“I have a worry that there is extreme potential for fraud with same-day voting,” said Rep. Clel Baudler, R-Greenfield.
The bill now heads to the Senate.
Voters who want to register on Election Day would need to present photo identification, which is not required when registering at other times.
Fraudulent voting is a felony, with a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $7,500.
Wessel-Kroeschell said there is no evidence to indicate widespread voter fraud in any of the states that have Election Day voting. Those states include Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
The Iowa bill is based on the one in Minnesota, which has been on the books since the 1970s.
In the election last November, states with Election Day registration had 49 percent turnout, compared to 38 percent in all other states, according to Demos, an advocacy group that works for greater voter participation.
The group lists Iowa as one of a dozen states that are now considering Election Day registration.
Dan Gearino can be reached at 515-243-0138 and [email protected].