Republicans on an Iowa Senate committee have approved a wide-ranging bill that sets 8 p.m. rather than 9 p.m as closing time for voting in all Iowa elections. Senator Roby Smith, a Republican from Davenport, says county auditors asked for the change.
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Senator Todd Taylor, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, objects.
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The bill is now eligible for debate in the full Senate. A bipartisan effort is underway in the Iowa House to address absentee voting. It would require all county auditors to use a Postal Service tracking system to determine if ballots are mailed before Election Day.