About 30 faith leaders from across Iowa joined a national movement of religious leaders speaking out against challenges to voting rights and access, especially for foreign-born U.S. citizens.
The leaders and community members gathered at Cowles Commons in downtown Des Moines on July 7 to call on local, state and federal governments to protect voting rights, joining a national movement called Faith in Us. This gathering was one of several across the nation.
Jessica Margrave Schirm, senior pastor at the Grinnell United Church of Christ, called out state and federal examples of the threats Iowans are facing today. Her examples included the Safeguard American Voter Eligbility Act and an executive order, which was recently blocked by a federal judge in Boston, that would have required the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to compile a list of U.S. citizens eligible to vote in each state and the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail-in ballots only to those on an approved list of voters.
The SAVE Act would require voters to show physical proof of citizenship and identification before casting an in-person or mail-in ballot. Margrave Schirm said this could impact not only naturalized citizens, but also those who have had name changes that do not match their ID information, such as married women.
She pointed to Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird’s criminal prosecutions for alleged illegal voting. In eight ongoing cases, three defendants have been acquitted and one resulted in a conviction.
The religious leaders called on elected officials to sign the Faith in Us “Pledge to Protect Our Freedom to Vote.” The pledge asks officials to abide by the U.S. Constitution, refuse compliance with executive orders or federal data requests that would restrict voting, and certify election winners regardless of party affiliation.
“Today, you will hear from several faith leaders across Iowa about why this is the moral issue of our time and why clergy are stepping forward as truth-tellers, raising the alarm, and pledging to help protect the vote so citizens, whether born or naturalized, may exercise their rights without fear of intimidation, violence, or reprisal,” Margrave Schirm said.
Four other Iowa faith leaders spoke at the gathering, including Rev. Betsey Monnot, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa; Rev. Scott Dalen, bishop of the Western Iowa Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Rabbi Sarah Brammer-Shlay, dean of religious life and chaplain at Grinnell College; and Rev. Jonathan Whitfield, senior pastor of Corinthian Baptist Church in Des Moines.
They all spoke about doing as their religions teach by loving neighbors and community members regardless of their background, which also means sticking up for their rights when they are in jeopardy. They also said voting rights for all eligible citizens are essential to a healthy democracy.
“Respecting the dignity of every human being means being sure that every eligible voter is able to exercise their voting rights in a way that works for them,” Monnot said.
State officials see election integrity as high priority
In May, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate announced the state had turned over registered voters’ personal information, like partial Social Security numbers, to the U.S. Department of Justice. The request was made to several states as the Justice Department sought information related to election integrity and illegal voting.
At the time, some other states refused to comply with this request, citing states’ authority over elections. In a statement, Pate, a Republican, said federal law trumped state law in this case, and providing the information was a legal obligation of the state of Iowa.
Bird, also a Republican, echoed this sentiment and said preventing voter fraud is in the best interest of both states and the federal government.
“Election integrity is essential; it is better when state and federal partners work together to make sure no illegal vote cancels out a legal one,” Bird said in a statement. “Federal law authorizes the United States Attorney General to request voter rolls.”
Des Moines Register reporter William Morris contributed to this report.
Isabelle Foland is a communities reporter for the Register. Reach her at ifoland@registermedia.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Voting rights are ‘moral issue of our time,’ pastors warn Iowans
Reporting by Isabelle Foland, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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By Isabelle Foland, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
