State Representative Jarad Klein (R) of Keota and State Senator Kevin Kinney (D) of Oxford voted along party lines in a bill putting new restrictions on absentee and early voting in Iowa.

The bill passed by a Republican majority vote of 30-18 in the Senate Tuesday, by 57-37 in the House Wednesday, and now is on its way to Governor Kim Reynolds’ desk. The legislation would cut mail and early voting period down from 29 to 18 days, polls would close at 8 p.m. instead of 9 p.m., and county auditors would face criminal charges for disobeying state law or not following state guidance. Klein says it’s time to tighten the voting window, “We need to have a hard deadline on when these votes have to be in to be counted. We have to have a hard deadline otherwise if we’re counting votes days on days after an election with all kinds of uncertainty, then that’s not doing a service to constituents.”

GOP lawmakers argue the voting bill will keep Iowa elections secure and constitutional. Democrats counter that it will affect elderly and disabled voters and those who lack transportation and will reduce voter turnout. Earlier this week, Kinney predicted the bill would move forward without compromises, “They (Republicans) probably won’t take any of the amendments the Democrats have to offer and the voter suppression that will result from that.”

Lobbyist declarations have largely been opposed to Senate File 413, including the Iowa State Association of County Auditors and the Iowa State Association of County Supervisors. Just four years ago, the Iowa Republicans were able to shorten the early voting window from 40 days to 29 days