Strengthen Iowa Elections: Resolve System Flaws, Restore Confidence

I am writing to urge you to take immediate and decisive action to strengthen Iowa’s voting system. While we value Iowa’s long-standing commitment to fair elections, serious issues remain that can confuse voters or cause their votes to go uncounted—undermining public trust and contributing to fear and anxiety about our elections. Current problems include: • Language Barriers: Translated ballots and voting materials are inconsistent across counties. • Legal Confusion: Iowa’s outdated "English-only" law is under appeal, creating uncertainty and potential last-minute changes. • Military & Overseas Voting: Return deadlines and procedures make it unnecessarily difficult for service members and overseas voters to participate. • Voter Roll Purges: Citizenship challenges have mistakenly flagged naturalized citizens and other lawful voters. • Youth Voting Rights: Many 17-year-olds eligible to vote in primaries are not properly informed of their rights. These problems do not merely affect individual voters; they erode confidence in our entire system and make many Iowans—especially new citizens, military families, young voters, and language minorities—feel that their voices may not be heard or valued. This is unacceptable in a healthy democracy. To restore trust, reduce voter anxiety, and strengthen public confidence in our elections, I urge you to support these reforms: 1 Establish clear, statewide translation standards for ballots and all official voting materials. 2 Repeal Iowa’s "English-only" law to guarantee equal access for all voters. 3 Modernize military and overseas voting procedures to align with federal best practices. 4 Ensure transparent and accountable oversight of voter roll maintenance to protect lawful voters from improper removal. 5 Fund and promote strong public education campaigns so young voters are fully aware of their rights. These are practical, bipartisan measures that can and should be addressed now. Taking action will help ensure that all Iowans—regardless of background, language, or circumstances—can participate fully and confidently in our democracy. Please make it a priority to modernize Iowa’s voting system and foster the trust and confidence that are the foundation of a free and fair election process.