Governor teams up with Secretary Schultz on voter ID law

DES MOINES – Announcing his support for Secretary of State Matt Schultz’s voter ID bill today, Governor Branstad tried to build the case for such a law by alleging that voter fraud has happened in the state, while failing to back up his claim with any evidence.

Speaking to reporters this morning he said “we have had efforts in past elections where people falsely vote in an area where they’re not eligible.” Branstad failed to back up his claim with any evidence that voter fraud has actually occurred in the state. Even Secretary Schultz, in announcing his bill last week, admitted that Iowa doesn’t have a history of voter fraud.

“This effort on the part of Governor Branstad to misinform the public about voting in Iowa is irresponsible. Voter fraud is not a problem in this state. That fact makes it tough to sell a voter ID bill that will cost millions and make it harder for countless Iowans to vote,” said Iowa Democratic Party Chairwoman Sue Dvorsky.

“The real facts about voter ID are clear: For many Iowans it will make voting much more difficult and may even require them to pay for pieces of identification. While this bill allows student IDs to be used, there are hardly any colleges and universities that have IDs that meet the requirements. Finally, as in other states that have passed these restrictive laws, taxpayers will be stuck paying the millions it costs to implement.”

“The cost of this bill, both financial and to the Iowans who will not vote as a result, is too high. Especially when it’s designed to fix a problem that, despite Governor Branstad’s claim, does not exist in Iowa,” added Dvorsky.