Iowa Covid Legal Information

We drew these resources principally from Justin Levitt's list of COVID-19 election cases, Standford-MIT Healthy Elections Project COVID-Related Election Litigation Tracker, and the National Center for State Legislatures' COVID-19 and 2020 Primary Elections page.

Litigation Tracker

  • League of United Latin American Citizens of Iowa v. Pate

    Topics

    Vote by Mail

    Status

    Pending

    Date Filed

    14/07/2020

    Court

    Iowa District Court, Johnson County

    Description

    Challenge to procedural change in processing absentee ballot requests.

  • Bertrand v. Woodbury County

    Topics

    Early Voting

    Status

    Injunction Granted in Part 5/1/20

    Date Filed

    16/04/2020

    Court

    Iowa District Court, Woodbury County

    Description

    Objecting to the limited number of polling places open for June primary.

  • Republican National Convention v. Miller

    Status

    Temporary Restraining Order Granted 8/27/20

    Date Filed

    10/08/2020

    Court

    Iowa District Court, Linn County

    Description

    Objecting to mailing forms with prepopulated fields in violation of the Secretary of State's emergency directive ordering blank forms.

  • Republican National Convention v. Weipert

    Topics

    Vote by Mail

    Status

    Pending

    Date Filed

    10/08/2020

    Court

    Iowa District Court, Johnson County

    Description

    Objecting to mailing forms with prepopulated fields in violation of the Secretary of State's emergency directive ordering blank forms.

  • Republican National Convention v. Gill

    Topics

    Vote by Mail

    Status

    Temporary Restraining Order Granted 8/28/20

    Date Filed

    14/08/2020

    Court

    Iowa District Court, Woodbury County

    Description

    Objecting to mailing forms with prepopulated fields in violation of the Secretary of State's emergency directive ordering blank forms.

  • DSCC v. Pate I, No. XX

    Topics

    Vote by Mail

    Status

    Pending

    Date Filed

    31/08/2020

    Court

    Iowa District Court, Polk County

    Description

    Seeking stay and set aside of the 7/17/20 Secretary of State Emergency Directive; challenging legality of directive as an agency action; alleging that Iowa Code does not give Secretary of State the power to issue immediately binding and legally enforceable election-related orders.

  • DSCC v. Pate II, No. XX

    Topics

    Vote by Mail

    Status

    Pending

    Date Filed

    31/08/2020

    Court

    Iowa District Court, Polk County

    Description

    Arguing that the Secretary of State lacked the state constitutional authority to issue a directive changing election procedures in light of COVID-19.

Executive Actions

  • Secretary Pate to Mail Absentee Ballot Request Form to Every Registered Voter

    Topics

    Absentee Voting; Deadlines

    Date Filed

    31/03/2020

    Description

    Iowa will mail all registered voters an absentee ballot request form for their upcoming primary and extend the absentee voting period to 40 days.

    Links

    Text

Legislative Actions