What you can do to protect the midterm elections

Tom Rendon

Midterm elections are less than four months away. Many Iowans are concerned that these elections may be tampered or interfered with, especially since the last person responsible for trying to overturn our national elections is now our current president. What can Iowans do to protect the upcoming midterm elections in November?

The election protection effort convened by Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement has already started with several preventive measures. First, we are sending a letter to every county auditor reminding them of their responsibilities and authority to oversee the elections. Second, CCI organized a meeting, attended by more than 50 residents, with Polk County Auditor Jamie Fitzgerald asking for assurances that he will exercise his duties to ensure a free and fair election. He said he will. Then, we put pressure on Secretary of State, Paul Pate, not to give any voter rolls over to the Justice Department which could be used to exclude valid voters. Unfortunately, he did release some of that data which he only disclosed after being pressured by the media. Pate assured us that he will exercise his authority to run a free and fair election without federal interference, but we need to make sure he does that.

But each of us can also do our part. We can make sure we and everyone we know who is a citizen is registered and has a plan to vote. A huge turnout makes it harder to cheat. Second, each of us can contact our county auditor, thank them for the job they do and ask for assurances to run a free and fair election without federal interference. We can do the same with Paul Pate and Attorney General Brenna Bird. What helped prevent the 2020 election from being overturned was county auditors, state auditors and attorneys general refusing to “just find some votes” when called to do so by the president. We can also contact our congresspeople and senators and insist they NOT support the SAVE Act that legalizes ways for the President to intervene in the election. Finally, we can also join with CCI in organized election protection activities (this work will be featured in their annual meeting on July 25). We need to make sure our elected officials hold firm, and we must hold them accountable for assuring a free and fair election.

Tom Rendon lives in Des Moines and is a longtime member of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement.