Democrats ask for state recount changes following Hart concession

Two weeks after Democrat Rita Hart withdrew her challenge of election results in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, legislative leaders are asking for changes in state recount procedures.

“I think the time is right for a leadership bill for Democrats and Republicans to come together and make some bipartisan changes to how recount elections are handled in Iowa to make sure that doesn’t happen again,” Senate Minority Leader Zach Wahls told reporters Thursday.

Wahls, D-Coralville, said he reached out to Republican lawmakers this week about introducing a bill to amend the state’s recount system. Wahls identified several areas he hoped to change, including:

• Allowing more than three people to serve on a recount board in larger, more populous counties;
• Involving county auditors and staff members in a recount;
• Counting ballots that were excluded due to election worker error in a recount;
• Conducting visual inspections and counting ballots that have not been marked clearly;
• Allowing the state judicial system to take more time to determine the outcome of a contested election. Current law requires the contest court to convene, conduct a trial and make a decision by early December.

But with only two weeks left before the legislative session ends, lawmakers have limited options to introduce new legislation. Only “leadership bills” — proposals by the House and Senate majority leaders, or collaborations among the majority and minority leaders in one chamber — and budget proposals can begin after the first funnel.

Read more: https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2021/04/16/democrats-ask-for-state-recount-changes-following-hart-concession/