Iowa Republican Gov. Terry Branstaad signed a voter identification law Friday morning that requires voters to show ID at polls beginning in 2019 and reduces the state’s early voting period to 29 days.
“We welcome Iowa to the growing collection of states enacting necessary reforms to prevent against voter fraud and boost confidence in our elections,” Public Interest Legal Foundation President and General Counsel J. Christian Adams said in an email statement on the law. “This law is a step toward modernizing elections with policies and infrastructure designed to protect voters from error and fraud alike.”
The new law also provides submission guidelines for third party voter registration organizers and details the use of electronic poll books to be used for confirming felon status.
Additionally, the law sets requirements for post-election audits and refers illegal votes to appropriate local law enforcement.