Iowa's Primary Election

Floor Speech

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Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, the House of Representatives has passed a bill that is kind of like a one-size-fits-all for elections, meaning that everything ought to be run out of Washington, DC, which is contrary to what we have done in this country for 240 years, wherein we have had 50 States running the elections. I want to refer to what happens in the State of Iowa.

Last week, Iowans voted in record numbers in our June primary. In most elections, about 40 percent of Iowans choose to vote by absentee ballot. This year, in our primary and, understandably, because of the pandemic, the vast majority cast its votes by absentee ballot--a State decision, a personal decision, not something dictated by Washington.

As I have already referred to, there are those here in Washington, DC--in Congress and maybe outside of Congress--who say that, unless the Federal Government mandates that States adopt a whole new, centralized, nonoptional vote-by-mail system before November, Americans will not be able to vote from home.

Iowa's successful primary election shows that the absentee ballot system that is already in place in our State--and in most States--that is run by our county auditors is up to the task. We have proven that. Every Iowan who wants to vote absentee in November can do so, and those who want to vote in person can also do so safely.

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