DES MOINES, Iowa (Source : AP News) — Iowa officials filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration on Tuesday, seeking access to federal records on the citizenship status of more than 2,000 registered voters in the state. The legal action follows a state investigation into voter rolls, where officials identified individuals who had previously self-reported as noncitizens to the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT).
The lawsuit stems from a request by Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate’s office to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for citizenship status information of the 2,176 individuals on the list. State officials were unable to obtain the requested data, prompting the lawsuit. The state argues that without this information, it was forced to rely on “imperfect” data to ensure only eligible voters participated in the 2024 election.
Ahead of the election, Pate directed county elections officials to challenge the ballots of these individuals, requiring them to cast provisional ballots while their citizenship status was verified. In response, the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa sued Pate on behalf of four naturalized citizens affected by the challenge, accusing Pate of violating their voting rights. A federal judge dismissed the ACLU’s request to halt the challenges in early November.
While it is illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections, there is no evidence of widespread noncitizen voting in Iowa or nationally. However, the state’s voter rolls were flagged due to discrepancies in DOT data, which some critics argue is unreliable. According to preliminary data from 97 counties, at least 500 individuals identified in the challenge were able to prove their citizenship and have their votes counted. Another 74 ballots were rejected after voters failed to provide citizenship proof.
Pate’s office has not disclosed the final number of ballots challenged or the overall impact on voter participation. The state’s actions contrast with recent developments in Virginia, where over 1,600 voters were removed from the rolls in a move later challenged in court.
Iowa’s lawsuit highlights concerns over election integrity, with state officials seeking to ensure that only U.S. citizens vote, while critics warn that the process may be causing undue harm to legitimate voters.
