Letters: Voting rights and the GOP power grab

To the editor:

Senator Joni Ernst’s article on Jan. 20 that Democrats are gaslighting the American people regarding restricting voter rights needs some clarification. The Voting Rights Bill was passed in Aug. 1965. It was readopted and strengthened in 1970, 1975 and 1982. It was passed with support from both Republicans and Democrats.

Sen. Ernst states that the Left is manufacturing a voting crisis. The fact is that 18 states with Republican governors and Republican-controlled legislators have enacted 30 laws restricting voter access as reported by Brennon Center for Justice at New York University Law. Iowa is one of those states.

It should also be noted that seven states that President Biden won drafted fake electoral voting certification documents, which were signed by Republican legislators and sent to the National Archives with the goal of overturning the election. Because submitting fake electoral documents to overturn an election is illegal, currently there are investigations at both state and federal levels on this matter. It would appear the power grab regarding voting rights is really by the GOP.

A side note, I am an independent voter who votes for the individual regardless of the political party.

Shirley Mori Sorenson,

West Des Moines