Hundreds of Iowa Voter Forms Rejected
by Lynn Campbell, Des Moines Register
County auditors have been unable to verify identification numbers for applications
Confusion
over portions of Iowa's mail-in voter registration application has left
the voting status of hundreds of Iowans in limbo. The most prevalent
problem is with the identification number requested. Also, some voters
have neglected to check the boxes at the top of the form.
Hundreds
of Iowans who registered to vote by mail were notified this week that
their applications were rejected – a situation that threatens to
disenfranchise voters less than three weeks before Election Day.
State
officials say they are resolving the problem, which stems from the
portion of Iowa's voter registration form that requires an
identification number. The form allows voters to use the last four
digits of their Social Security number if they don't have a driver's
license or other state identification number.
But Iowa
county auditors' access to the Social Security database to verify those
numbers has been delayed – causing hundreds of voter registration
applications to pile up without being processed. The situation affects
the entire state, including about 400 applications in Johnson County
and 500 in Polk County.
“I'm
trying to make an effort to get this worked out,” said Polk County
Auditor Michael Mauro. “These voters have done nothing improper. They
followed the procedure printed on the application.”
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