Letter to the Editor: Voting Ease or Difficulty

Dear Editor:

On this day May 2, a letter appeared in the CR Gazette attempting to indicate how difficult it would be for the disabled or those without transportation to get to the polls to vote. I suggest a call to the Benton County Auditor - 319-472-2365. If one is unable to personally attend a polling place to vote a request for a ballot should be asked for. As I understood the person who answered the phone, a mail-in ballot would then be sent. Please call for verification or use the website -

https://www.bentoncountyia.gov/auditor/

Frankly, there is nothing difficult about making the phone call if you need the help. There will always be those who claim obstacles to voters when new laws are passed to insure vote integrity. Misinformation by the left will always be there. Don't buy in.

John Stiegelmeyer

Editor's note:

The following information is from the Benton County Auditor's Office website:

To vote absentee by mail you must complete a request form. You may contact the Auditor's Office to request that a form be sent to you. When filling out the form, please be sure to include the date the request is signed. Once completed, please return the form to the Benton County Auditor's Office, PO Box 549, Vinton, IA 52349. Printable absentee ballot request forms are also available from the Secretary of State.
To be sent an absentee ballot by mail, the Auditor's Office must receive your Absentee Ballot Request form by 5pm on the Monday 15 days before the Election.
In-person absentee voting is available in the Auditor's Office during regular business hours (8am-4:30pm). The deadline for in-person absentee is 5pm on the Monday before the election.

Absentee ballots returned by mail to the Auditor's Office must be received by 8:00pm on Election Day.*

Instructions on how to vote your absentee ballot will be included with your ballot.

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DL May 3, 2022, 3:16 pm Mr. Stiegelmeyer, there isn't any known reason to believe that the new laws, here in Iowa, will cause any issue with the ability to receive an early voting/absentee ballot. But, there have already been unacceptable amounts of problems in other states. In Texas, one week after ballot requests were being received, over 50% OF REQUESTS, FROM REGISTERED VOTERS, FOR BALLOTS had been denied. Can you think of a legitimate reason why a registered voter would be turned down, when requesting a ballot, so they can vote? Let alone, 50%? I don't remember the number for what that 50% represented. But, I know that it was an outrageous number, when I heard it. Also, can you tell me how this problem can be caused by "the left", in Texas?

NG May 3, 2022, 5:25 pm John, The bill backed by Republicans would shorten the early voting period to 20 days from the current 29, just three years after Republicans reduced the period from 40 days. It also would require most mail ballots to be received by county election officials by the time polls close on Election Day, rather than counting votes as long as they were postmarked by Election Day and arrived by noon on the Monday following the election. The bill prohibits the use of a U.S. Postal Service postmark as a way to verify when a ballot was mailed.

So what is next? It appears they will continue to make it harder and put more restrictions on voters, do more gerrymandering to help them have that total control they are after.

Now with the possible overturning of Roe V Wade I keep hearing the republicans are planning on outlawing abortion across the country and besides that some of them are talking about getting rid of birth control also.

For all the republicans out there who screamed my body my choice against getting vaccinated and wearing a mask evidently are nothing but hypocrites and believe women don't have that "My body my choice" option. In Texas republicans won't require a 12-year-old girl to wear a mask to protect herself and others but will require her to carry a baby to full term after she has been raped by her father. I think republicans are losing their minds.

Norma Gould

JS May 3, 2022, 10:54 pm Lindsey: I was not referring to Texas. They have their own way of doing things. There is no obstacles to voting in person or by mail in Iowa. One just needs to call or see in person the Auditor of their county to receive the current rules for that vote. Where is the problem? As usual, you bring up objections that do not apply to Iowa. You are really good at making things up, and things that do not apply to the things I have written

Gould: What is you objection to 20 days of early voting. That is plenty of time to plan for that effort! Why is it objectionable for ballots to be counted that they be receive by election day? That is what it has been the rule for decades previous? I don't think your information is correct - put forth chapter and verse to the Legislative bill passed and signed by the Gov. I doubt you can do that. More "used oats" in other words horses**t. All one has to do is show up or get Corridor Rides or Benton County Rides to take you to the polls. What is so difficult about that?

The misinformation on overturning Roe v Wade is false the court has not finalized its decision! This decision by SCOTUS will not be final for many weeks. Why the hysteria?? Iowa's law will not be changed from what it is now. Outlawing birth control - oh good grief - come up with another lie. Oh and the other nonsense --- I didn't write anything on any of that hogwash. Your good at making stuff up as well.

Keep it up the more you write the more people see through your unfounded logic. Don't let the progressives fool you!!!

One other note. Just yesterday a commentator mentioned that there has been 400,000 black babies aborted this last year. Is this infanticide?, genocide?, or murder? Or racism of the highest order? Is this what Margaret Sanger meant by "Weeding the Garden"? Maybe there is a reason for killing the unborn? I will listen, but I don't have to agree!!! All lives Matter!!!

NG May 4, 2022, 4:10 am John, my objection to 20 days is that it was 40 days and then 29 and now 20 and I promise you they will not stop there. They will continue to take away days until early voting is canceled. I'm surprised you don't know how to use google. It's not my job to look it up for you but here it is.

https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/local-politics/governor-kim-reynolds-signs-voting-bill-into-law-county-auditors-follow-state-law/524-ffcebc7c-6bc5-4678-9c44-32fd43e83871

As far as rides to the polls we are talking the whole state of Iowa, not just Vinton and the corridor. I don't think you have a clue about what others face when trying to vote. You must be aware that when the Senate tried to pass bills to make it easier to vote republicans blocked it. Their goal is to make it harder, not easier.

Of course the law in Iowa will change. Republicans are already working on the law that they can enact as soon as Roe V Wade is gone. I am sorry to tell you John but you are not paying attention. You obviously listen to Fox and they will never tell you the truth. All red states are getting ready to do that. Some states have laws in place to overturn existing laws as soon as roe v Wade is gone but Iowa has some things in the Iowa Supreme court to deal with first, keeping in mind that Reynolds has appointed 4 of the 7 current Justices.

We have extremists Supreme Court Justices now who are more than willing to toss out the constitution because to them biblical law supersedes the constitution and that is exactly why Leonard Leo started the Federalist Society to get these perfectly coached Christians on the court.

Neil Gorsuch, Bret Kavanaugh, Sam Alito, Amy Barret, and Clarence Thomas all testified that Roe v. Wade was ‘settled law’ in their confirmation hearings and each and every single one of them lied when they said that.

Catholics believe that any form of birth control is abortifacient and that will be next up on the agenda. Neil Gorsuch, Bret Kavanaugh, Sam Alito, Amy Barret, and Clarence Thomas are all Catholic. religion is taking over the court.

As far as your 400,000 black babies provide a link to that information and please don't make it from a right wing site as they all lie.

As far as "All Lives Matter" it is "Black Lives" that are being put in danger from some of our police. So every time you change that to "all" you are de-valuing many Black Lives. The murder of George Floyd woke a lot of people up but evidently not you. We have too many racist police.

Republicans cottoned on to the fact that if they can tie birth control to abortion, then publicly funded insurance might not have to pay for birth control. Hobby Lobby is the perfect example.

Norma Gould

DL May 4, 2022, 3:20 pm HEY!!! You wrote the article, and I agreed with you!!! But, I then felt that I would add some information, that you didn't address!!!! Damn you!!!! Why the hell do I have to stick you your exact topic? I'm I supposed to expect that everything you write about, only relates to you? To Vinton? To Benton County? Do you own this space? How the hell does anyone get along with you? I can't even agree with you, without you calling me a liar! I didn't make anything up!!! I couldn't find the comment from Ms. Gould that you were replying to. I was only addressing what was in your letter, and adding additional information! You're ridiculous!

Opinion : Letter to the Editor: Voting Ease or Difficulty

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