An Iowa judge ruled in favor of the Republican Party and President Trump’s campaign Thursday and nullified about 45-thousand absentee ballot request forms from Linn County voters.
A similar hearing took place in Sioux City Friday morning before Woodbury County Judge Patrick Tott.
Republicans sued Woodbury County auditor Pat Gill and Linn County Auditor Joel Miller, arguing that they violated the Iowa Secretary of State’s order that only blank absentee ballot request forms be mailed out.
Des Moines attorney Alan Ostergren represented the Republican party and stated that not every county could afford or has the ability to do what Woodbury County’s auditor had done:
OC………uniform across the state. :15
Gill and Miller as well as the county auditor in Johnson County, mailed forms that were filled out with the voter’s name and voter I-D number.
Attorney Jeff Wright, representing Gill, told Judge Tott that Secretary of State Paul Pate did not have authority to issue his order:
OC………a public health disaster. :13
Judge Tott questioned Wright’s interpretation of what constitutes a disaster:
OC…………for 4 months. :23
Judge Tott has promised a quick ruling in the case.
Miller says his office will notify affected Linn County voters that the forms they’ve submitted have been invalidated and, by mid-September he’ll do another mailing of blank absentee ballot request forms to Linn County voters.
County auditors cannot start sending absentee ballots to voters until October 5th.
Updated 516pm 8/28/20
