mobanmarketIowa Secretary of State Paul Pate (R) will submit a proposal to overhaul his state’s election rules by requiring voters to show identification at the polls, among other changes. Pate on Thursday unveiled a legislative package of reforms that would make Iowa the 11th state to implement strict voter ID rules. Iowans who are unable to produce an ID card would be required to cast a provisional ballot, then show proof of their identity at a county office within a few days after an election. ADVERTISEMENTAt the moment, Iowa is one of 18 states that do not require voters to show any identification when they show up to vote. Ten states with strict ID laws allow voters without ID to cast a provisional ballot, and 22 states allow voters who don’t have an ID to cast ballots after signing an affidavit swearing to their identity. Supporters of voter ID laws say they prevent fraud on Election Day. Pate’s proposal adds a new layer of security, he said, by requiring every polling place across Iowa to check voters in through electronic poll books. Those poll books would be able to scan IDs to both speed lines and tighten guards against fraud. “I want to make it easy to vote, but hard to cheat,” Pate said. “This bill streamlines the system to make checking in easier and quicker. It will reduce waiting times at the polls, ensure every eligible Iowan is able to cast a ballot, and ensures their ballot will count.” Democrats generally oppose voter ID legislation, on the grounds that such laws disproportionately impact older voters and minorities. Iowa state Sen. Jeff Danielson (D), the outgoing chairman of the Senate State Government Committee, called the measure “a partisan proposal that will suppress voter turnout across Iowa.” “Senate Democrats have worked with Republican legislators and county auditors over the years to increase voter participation and election integrity in our state. The proposals today from Secretary Pate turn back the clock by making election policy a partisan issue,” Danielson said. But Democrats are unlikely to be able to stop Pate’s proposal after Republican wins in 2016 handed the GOP control of the state Senate. Republicans now control the entire legislature as well as the governorship. Another element of Pate’s proposal is likely to anger state Democrats as well. The provision would set a deadline for those who collect absentee ballots and return them to county auditor’s offices; Democrats have spent millions in recent years building up robust absentee ballot programs, aimed at banking votes well before Election Day. More than 630,000 Iowans voted by absentee ballot in 2016, according to the Secretary of State’s office. Forty-one percent of those who voted early were registered Democrats, while 35 percent were registered Republicans. President-elect Donald TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote Warren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Esper orders ‘After Action Review’ of National Guard’s role in protests MORE beat Hillary ClintonHillary Diane Rodham ClintonWhite House accuses Biden of pushing ‘conspiracy theories’ with Trump election claim Biden courts younger voters — who have been a weakness Trayvon Martin’s mother Sybrina Fulton qualifies to run for county commissioner in Florida MORE by about 148,000 votes, or nearly 10 percentage points, in Iowa. Click Here: New Zealand rugby store