Reading · Deep Midwest: Politics and Culture

By Julia Rendon, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement member.

Julia Rendon is a retired minister in the United Church of Christ. With Iowa CCI, she has shamed businesses into paying their workers back wages, shone a light on predatory lending practices, and pressured the governor to reinstate the summer food program for kids. As a Christian, she believes that every person matters and everybody should have a voice in our life together, which is why she is working for free and fair elections in November.

The June primaries have come and gone. Voting went off mostly without a hitch. Voters cast ballots. Their votes were counted and logged. And, now, we have a final slate of candidates for the general elections.

We can’t, however, count on a repeat of the primaries in November. There are no guarantees things will go smoothly.

Our democracy faces threats unlike anything we have ever seen before. And, as Bob Leonard noted in his May column, Iowa is at the epicenter. We could ultimately decide who controls Congress, and our currently red state and its leaders are eager to placate President Trump and retain their positions, putting a large red target on our backs.

We need to be ready, because threats to our elections are no longer a “what if.” They are already happening. We have seen states adopt stricter voter ID laws, limits to mail-in voting, shorter early voting periods, and the purging of voter rolls and reduced polling hours.

Iowa lawmakers in 2025 adopted a law giving partisan state-level officials control over the election process. Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, who is in charge of our elections, recently handed over Iowa’s voter database–including Social Security and driver’s license numbers–to federal officials at President Trump’s request.

Leonard rightly says the time to prepare is now. We at Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement Action couldn’t agree more. There’s too much at stake.

Our efforts this election cycle include equipping eligible voters with the information they need to successfully cast their ballots, while working with partner organizations and county auditors across Iowa to get the lay of the land and identify any vulnerabilities that might exist.

We’ve also reached out to Pate’s office for a meeting. Pate has refused to sign an agreement with the Trump administration promising to cancel the voter registration of Iowans deemed ineligible by federal officials, because it conflicts with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. That act trumps all else when deciding on voter registration issues, Pate said.

Pate has publicly pledged that when Iowans cast their vote in November, it will be “counted fairly, accurately and securely.” He doubled down on his confidence in free and democratic elections and the state’s election security, while alerting voters to stay vigilant against election misinformation.

Pate has done some things to instill confidence. But will that hold up come Election Day?

I believe most elected officials are working hard to ensure Iowans’ voices are heard at the ballot box. But we also have a lawless President.

Pate’s office says our elections are secure. He, however, has failed to address the potential for President Trump and his administration to deploy the National Guard or Immigration Enforcement Agents to polling places on Election Day.

It’s a citizen’s right and responsibility to vote, so having these public officials address our questions and concerns is helpful. But I still have many unanswered questions. What if ICE shows up at any polling location? What if voter safety is a problem?

I believe our elections in Iowa are free and democratic, but I don’t assume they always will be with this movement to inhibit our ability to legitimately vote. In the current environment, we need to know our elected officials are up to the new challenges facing our democracy and voting system this year.

Below is a statement from Sheena Dooley, Director of Communications for Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement:

The determination, resiliency, and courage of the American people, including Iowans, to defend free and democratic elections is being tested–and that’s why we are not backing down. Iowa CCI is built for moments like this. It’s imperative we lead the charge and show up in our communities and dispel widely spread misinformation. Because our democracy requires us to collectively raise our voice in its defense. A threat to one is a threat to all.

Thanks to Julia Rendon and Shena Dooley for their contributions here and their important work with Iowa CCI. Please consider joining/donating to help the cause.

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement is Working to Protect our Elections

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