Last March, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed legislation that altered election laws in numerous ways. The new laws strip auditors of much of their discretion in running elections, prevent them from establishing satellite in-person early voting sites unless petitioned to do so by residents, and from mailing absentee ballot request forms to voters unless specifically requested. Republicans have criticized county auditors, claiming inappropriate behavior during the 2020 election. Auditors could now face fines of up to $10,000 for "technical infractions" of their duties.
Lucy Martin, Story County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections, who was re-elected to her third full term in these offices in 2020, explains what these new laws mean and how it will possibly affect elections and voter perceptions.
Keith Morgan, Story County EmergencyCoordinator, describes how their offices are preparing for the upcoming season of storms. using lessons learned from last summer’s derecho, they are connecting county communities more with Emergency Operations and developing training and response packages for city clerks, for tools to allow they to help each other out.
