Iowa judge voids 50,000 absentee ballot applications, prompting county to send new forms

[ForgoTheConsequence]

Source: CNN

A state judge in Iowa's second-largest county has invalidated more than 50,000 applications for absentee ballots, prompting election officials to re-send applications to thousands of voters because of problems with the original forms.

The judge sided with the Trump campaign and the Republican Party, which filed a lawsuit this month seeking to discard the absentee ballot request forms. The Trump campaign argued the forms should have been blank except for the election date and type, per the Iowa secretary of state's directions. Local officials in Linn County, which is home to Cedar Rapids, ignored those directions and sent out the applications with more information anyway.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/27/politics/iowa-absentee-ballot-applications/index.html

[groundloop]

1. What a pile of shit..... once again we know that GOPers win by preventing people from voting

[IllinoisBirdWatcher]

2. tRump's America. N/T

[Freethinker65]

3. They don't care if you vote, it is how you vote. They want fewer verifiable paper ballots!!

It is harder to tamper with paper ballots during a recount or audit.

However you vote, request a paper ballot if possible.

[LiberalFighter]

4. How would anyone know they were prefilled?

I have downloaded absentee by mail requests and filled mine out on the computer. After completing the form I then printed it out and signed it.

[SharonClark]

6. They were pre-filled by the county auditor

so the voter only had to sign their name. State law regulates what fields can be prefilled, it may be only the election date and type.

The auditor is now required to contact the 50,000 who submitted prefilled forms so they can get a new form. In addition, the SOS will send ABR to every registered voter.

[LiberalFighter]

10. The question is still how would they know it was prefilled?

Anyone with a computer can type in the fields themselves. And as I stated before, I have done this myself.

[SharonClark]

12. The prefilled fields look different

from what you enter online, plus the form looks and feels different than something you print on a home printer. It’s easy to tell if a form sent by the auditor is prefilled.

[bluestarone]

5. Confused here How can tRUMP get involved in STATE election?

I know this was a STATE judge BUT i always thought the complaint has to come from someone from the state NOT the FEDS. So can they do this bullshit in Nov. in any state they choose?

[SharonClark]

7. It's a federal election.

[bluestarone]

8. Ah too much thinking on my part TY!

[Igel]

16. Not relevant.

There are no federal elections; all elections are state elections.

The local party is the one who would be harmed by the prefilled forms; they're party to the suit. Trump and his campaign organization are locally based for the local elections.

Remember--the elections for "president" are actually elections for the state electors that will be incorporated into the Electoral College. It's United States, and the states are still what are united to form the country.

[Sherman A1]

19. Precisely

[SharonClark]

22. You're correct. It was the state trump

org and state Gop behind it.

[Orrex]

9. Shitty though this is, it's better that it happen now

I'm surprised that Trump didn't sue to have the ballots invalidated on the morning of November 4.

[SharonClark]

13. It's estimated that every voter will get up to

7 ABRs from various sources. It confuses a lot of people who question if they should send in more than one because maybe their first request went astray. It takes a lot of time explaining it to people.

They can track their request and ballot on the SOS website.

Our county party is calling every Dem to make sure they complete an ABR if they want one. The ballots will be received around October 5 and then they’ll start ballot chasing.

[AllaN01Bear]

11. i was just going to ask if the judge was a repug and the op mentions it right off the top.

the judge should recurse himself. : nuke : pox this so and so messing with our right to vote .

[justgamma]

14. There was a mass mailing

of request forms from Center for voter information. The names and addresses are already filled out and on the back is a letter telling you the dates they need to be in and your rights. Wonder how many used them and if Trump will sue at the last minute.

[iluvtennis]

15. This mofo keeps tearing down every institution. He knows he can't win a fair election, so he's

gaming the system.

[torius]

17. can people volunteer

to contact Democrats who got the voided ones?

[SharonClark]

21. The county is required to contact each voter whose

ANR has been voided so they can reapply. I’m certain every Democratic voter will be contacted by the county party as well.

[torius]

24. Thanks!

[C Moon]

18. This is how the next election will be stolen, once again.

We no longer live in a democracy.

[Faux pas]

20. Effing

effers from efferville

[jayfish]

23. Wait A Fucking Minute Here!

What is the political makeup of the "local officials" in Lynn County? Did Rs play both side of this? Send out bogus applications then sue to get them voided?