Iowa Supreme Court Hears Arguments Over Finkenauer Petitions

Iowa Supreme Court justices are being asked to resolve a question that has the potential to keep Democratic US Senate candidate Abby Finkenauer of Dubuque off the June Primary ballot. The case revolves around three signatures – one that has the wrong date beside it, one without a date, and one with a zip code instead of a date. The attorney for the State Objection Panel, which approved the three signatures, said the list of disqualifying errors in one section of Iowa law does not mention the date on a petition’s signature line. An attorney for two Republican plaintiffs argued there’s another section of state law which says a date IS required on the signature line. A district judge agreed with the Republicans and ordered Finkenauer’s name off the ballot — the Supreme Court did not issue a ruling yet.