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There's been a lot of talk lately about election integrity, especially from the Trump administration. What's disturbing is that the rhetoric doesn't seem to be lining up with his administration's actions.
Take for example the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. Created in 2002 after the 2000 presidential election debacle in Florida, this is the only federal agency dedicated to helping states run smooth elections. Among other things, they provide state and local election officials with training and certification of voting equipment. It has gone from providing states with $825 million in grants in 2020 to $45 million this year. Of that, Iowa received only $819,000 this fiscal year.
If we want safe and democratic elections, isn't it important to provide states with the needed funding? Not according to the Trump administration, which has also gutted the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, one of the main partners for states in terms of election security. The agency shared intelligence on potential threats to voting infrastructure and provided quick regional support.
In Iowa, we are plum serious about the integrity of our elections. The primaries came and went without any known hiccups. Although voting has become harder in recent years because of changes Iowa lawmakers passed, we still have a solid system in which every vote is counted. We firmly believe we the people elect our leaders, not the other way around.
When I volunteered to count ballots, they were so dang picky about what ballots they accepted. For example, if it wasn't sent in the right envelope or sealed correctly, it was thrown out. And I look at the 2020 election in which Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks won by six votes. The recount showed every vote was correctly counted. You can't get much squeakier clean than that.
Now Trump's asking the U.S. Supreme Court to essentially ban mail-in ballots while ramming his SAVE Act through Congress. The bill would require voter ID at the polls and proof of citizenship in order to register to vote. Now how many of us know where our "proof of citizenship" is? Heck, if you asked me right now where my Social Security card was I probably couldn't tell you.
What we currently have isn't an election integrity problem. We have some of the most safe and secure election systems in a democracy. What's becoming disturbingly clear is that we have an election intimidation problem.
This administration has done a good job of attacking and sowing doubt over the validity and security of our elections, with Trump personally intervening in federal law enforcement action. But what he hasn't done is take steps to actually ensure our votes are counted come November.
What this administration fails to recognize is that Americans own our country-not power hungry politicians with a self-serving agenda. We must remain vigilant and not fall prey to the manufactured chaos being born from the rampant misinformation that is meant to chip away at our confidence in our country's free and democratic elections.
Our freedom and power as everyday Iowans who want their voices heard is on the ballot this fall. It's our right, and absolutely every eligible vote from Republicans, Democrats, Independents and others deserve to be counted. We have to speak out now to our elected officials in D.C., because they're the ones now tasked with defending our democracy in the halls of Congress.
And, if they don't do it, we the people will elect representatives who will fight for our democracy.
Barb Kalbach is a fourth generation family farmer, retired registered nurse, and board member of Iowa CCI Action. She can be reached at barbnealkalbach@gmail.com.