Meeting Public Comments

Sharon Santema [ ]

Please vote NO on SSB 1175 unless it is revised. I am opposed to Sections 8, 9, 10 and 13. Sections 8, 9, and 13 remove the option of hand counting ballots, which is our pathway to fair and transparent elections. Section 8 requires the use of voting equipment and disallows the auditor to choose whether or not to use voting equipment for the handicapped. Section 9 removes the allowance for the auditors to choose to hand count in cities of less than 3,500. Section 13 requires the use of electronic voting systems for casting, registering, recording and counting all votes for all elections. The 2020 election was stolen partially by the fact that electronic voting systems were used and connected to the internet and/or the FirstNet cellular network. See the attached article "Nationwide Cellular Network Connects Election Systems and Gives Federal Government Access to Election Systems at the Precinct Level" and see the "Fingerprints of Fraud" documentary at www.iowacanvassing.com. The most secure voting possible is done by using secure paper ballots, photo ID (which Iowa has), hand counting on one election day. Hand counting usually involves teams of 4, (2 democrats and 2 republicans) to hand count ballots publicly at the precinct where the ballots were cast. Results are obtained by midnight of election day. President Trump has stated that the cost is 8% of the cost of using the expensive, internet/cellularconnected voting machines. Even though our federal elections have been part of the nation's Critical Infrastructure since 2017, minimum standard requirements for information security has never been established to date, as required by the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA 11331. Responsibilities for Federal information systems standards). I'm also opposed to Section 10 which gives the auditor permission to have only epollbooks, and not paper voter registration lists at the polling place. Epollbooks are online and hackable. Paper voter registration lists are not only more secure, they also are a good practice for emergency preparedness. Please vote AGAINST SSB 1175 as it stands.

Wendy Tillgren

Please vote NO on SSB 1175 unless it is revised. I am opposed to Sections 8, 9, 10 and 13. Sections 8, 9, and 13 remove the option of hand counting ballots, which is our pathway to fair and transparent elections. Section 8 requires the use of voting equipment and disallows the auditor to choose whether or not to use voting equipment for the handicapped. Section 9 removes the allowance for the auditors to choose to hand count in cities of less than 3,500. Section 13 requires the use of electronic voting systems for casting, registering, recording and counting all votes for all elections. The 2020 election was stolen partially by the fact that electronic voting systems were used and connected to the internet and/or the FirstNet cellular network. See the attached article "Nationwide Cellular Network Connects Election Systems and Gives Federal Government Access to Election Systems at the Precinct Level" and see the "Fingerprints of Fraud" documentary at www.iowacanvassing.com. The most secure voting possible is done by using secure paper ballots, photo ID (which Iowa has), hand counting on one election day. Hand counting usually involves teams of 4, (2 democrats and 2 republicans) to hand count ballots publicly at the precinct where the ballots were cast. Results are obtained by midnight of election day. President Trump has stated that the cost is 8% of the cost of using the expensive, internet/cellularconnected voting machines. Even though our federal elections have been part of the nation's Critical Infrastructure since 2017, minimum standard requirements for information security has never been established to date, as required by the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA 11331. Responsibilities for Federal information systems standards). I'm also opposed to Section 10 which gives the auditor permission to have only epollbooks, and not paper voter registration lists at the polling place. Epollbooks are online and hackable. Paper voter registration lists are not only more secure, they also are a good practice for emergency preparedness. Please vote AGAINST SSB 1175 as it stands.

Cindy Reel

Please vote no on SSB 1175, for all of the above mentioned reasons, and more specifically elections should be just as President Trump states:Same day/single day voting on paper ballots including paper poll books, voter ID, American Citizenship only, with results reported that same day.NO machines!

Lori Stiles

Please vote NO on SSB 1175, as written. At at time when public sentiment is that only tangible paper ballots should be used and they should be counted by humansas they were for centuries this bill pushes THE OPPOSITE of that. Section 8 deletes THE CHOICE the county election commissioiner (County Auditor, per Sec.7) previously had to count marked ballots by hand at the precinct level. Section 9 leaves open a potential to change from ONLY using paper ballots. It reads "..by paper ballots . . . OR BY VOTING SYSTEMS...." Furthermore, it removes the County Auditor's right to choose handcounting in cities of less than 3500. Hand counting would prove to be a better budget decision for that county than would maintaining the software & certifications for the electronic counters ('tabulators').Sec. 10 is requiring the use of electronic poll books. While they are user friendly for the Poll Workers, they are a potential target for hacking, which is yet another avenue for nefarious activity. When striving to make Iowa elections secure from hackers, epoll books are contraindicated. Sec. 13 appears to REQUIRE optical scan voting systems for votes to be "cast, registered, recorded and counted". Vote NO on SSB 1175 to ensure that Iowans will be able to pursue handcounting of ballots at the precinct level, which would be the best way to increase credibility and confidence in the vote counts and remove avenues for electronic manipulation of tabulations. Thank you.

Robert Nazario

Please vote to stop this horrible bill from proceeding! SSB 1175 is wrong bill for our state. We need to can all electronics and go with paper ballots and hand recounts. We dont trust the machines or our Secretary of State for pushing the machines onto Iowans. Vote no and lets bring transparency and confidence to our elections. PAPER BALLOTS ONLY.

Laura Norcross

I am asking you to vote NO to this Bill today. Our elections need to be handled in such a way as to not be questioned. I pride myself for being a life long resident of Iowa and I feel our elections should always be above reproach. Paper ballots, hand counting, wittnesses from both sides. Keep our State honest with our voting techniques!!!!

Jena Newell

Please vote NO on SSB 1175. we do not need more machines that are expensive, unreliable and manipulable! I worked in an election office for the 2022 elections. The County paid to have representatives from the electronic voting machine companies on the premises to handle a number of problems that occurred with "machines" over the course of the election. I worked as part of a small team of citizens who received ballot requests, sent out the requested ballots and then hand counted the thousands of ballots/votes received for the election. Hand counting works! It's timely and provides an accurate record of individual and total votes, as well as actual validation of votes for recounts For genuine "election Integrity" we must have a simple, verifiable and traceable voting process that is overseen by the citizenry of our state. We must insist on accurate & legal proof of citizenship, one day voting (so boxes of votes don't disappear), and PAPER documentation for voter information at the polls and with hand counted verifiable ballots for election results and recounts.

Randy Hefel

None of this bill provides additional election integrity or transparency. It instead does the opposite. Vote NO!We the people do not want the SOS stripping our county auditors of their powers/rights to make each county(s)choices, as stated in the bill, "The county commissioner of elections does not possess homerule powers with respect to the exercise of powers or duties related to the conduct of elections prescribed by statute or rule, or guidance or directives issued pursuant to section 47."We the people do not want the rights of the county auditors stripped so the auditor does not have a choice to not use electronic voting equipment for elections.We the people do not want the rights of the county auditor to choose HAND COUNTING for cities/districts of less than 3500 or less taken away from them.We the people do not want to be legislated to have "all votes being cast and counted using electronic voting systems". Electronic voting systems may be the fastest system but it there are to many holes throughout the whole process that a cyber intrusion can take place and we do not even know it is occurring.Our electronic voting system(s) according to the VVSG via the HAVA are NOT suppose to be connected to the internet (encrypted or not) weather it be a phone modem, wireless, hispeed cable or etc., yet we do it! WHY?

Josephine Hefel

Please vote AGAINST SSB 1175 as it stands.

Edward Hee

I am asking the members of the Subcommittee not to pass this Bill out of subcommittee. There are multiple bad provisions in the Bill, including the mandate for electronic counting of votes, limiting jurisdiction for investigation of election malfeasance, and extending the opportunity for the Secretary of State to unilaterally impose conditions on county Commissioners of Elections for election security and distribution of information related to election conduct issues. This Bill drastically reduces election transparency and security; needlessly increases bureaucratic manipulation in some areas of the election process; and would serve to emplace provisions that could lead to an erosion of public confidence in the fair and honest conduct of elections at all levels in our state. This is totally unnecessary legislation and needs to be removed from further consideration.

Diane Holst

Vote NO on SSB1175