DES MOINES — Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz warned a group of international voting monitors that they face arrest if they monitor polling locations in Iowa next week. “My office met with two delegation representatives last week to discuss Iowa’s election process, and it was explained to them that they are not permitted at the polls,” Schultz said in a statement released Tuesday. “Iowa law is very specific about who is permitted at polling places, and there is no exception for members of this group.”
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe plans to send observers from its Office for Democratic Institutions to Iowa and other states. According to the group’s website, members have been meeting with election officials and political party workers since last month to discuss their observation plans in the United States.
Attempts to reach Thomas Rymer, spokesman for the Office of Democratic Institutions, were not successful Tuesday.
Schultz said he supports the efforts of other nations to learn about the U.S. election process, but pointed to a statute in Iowa code that limits the number of people at a particular polling place. That section of code, with few exceptions, allows poll watchers from political parties, news media and campaigns to be at polling locations.
Schultz spokesman Chad Olsen said the Secretary of State’s Office will leave it up to local county officials how to handle outside observers.
“But if they do show up at a polling location, because they are not allowed to do so under Iowa law, local elections officials can request that they be removed if they refuse to do so. That could be the poll workers at the site, or the county auditor or county attorney,” Olsen wrote in an email.
“They violate the statute just by showing up and maintaining a presence within 300 feet of a polling location. They are aware of the statute, and did indicate at the meeting last week that they had no intention of violating Iowa law, but then apparently were seeking permission from county auditors to do so anyway.”
Tim Albrecht, spokesman for Gov. Terry Branstad, said the governor agrees with the secretary of state.
“The governor believes Iowa Code should be followed, and supports Matt Schultz’s efforts to uphold the law,” Albrecht wrote in an email.
Mike Wiser reports from the Globe Gazette Des Moines Bureau.
related Kline: Precinct workers should use good judgment
By JOHN SKIPPER MASON CITY —Cerro Gordo County Auditor Ken Kline said Tuesday it is illegal to have observers such as U.N. poll watchers at polling places.
“Iowa Code Sections 49.104 and 49.105 speak to this,” he said. “They clearly prohibit such observers at the polling place and authorize and require the precinct officials to order the arrest of such a person.”
Kline said he would ask the precinct officials to use good judgment in handling a situation like this by telling any person not authorized to be there that they need to leave.
“If the person refused, then we would administer the law appropriately,” said Kline.
“If we had international observers in Cerro Gordo County, I would discourage them from observing an actual polling place, and instead would offer the option of simulating and/or describing the operations at a polling place,” he said.