A federal judge in Iowa ruled that the state can continue challenging the validity of hundreds of ballots from potential noncitizens, despite critics arguing that it threatens the voting rights of recently naturalized citizens. The lawsuit, filed by the ACLU on behalf of the League of Latin American Citizens of Iowa and four naturalized citizens, aimed to prevent local elections officials from challenging these registrations. The state’s Republican attorney general and secretary of state argued that investigating and potentially removing these names would prevent illegal voting by noncitizens, a claim that has been a key talking point for GOP officials nationwide.
The federal judge cited a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that allowed Virginia to resume a similar purge of voter registration rolls, even impacting some U.S. citizens. He also referenced the Supreme Court’s refusal to review a Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision on state electoral laws. The judge stated that the state’s effort does not remove anyone from the voter rolls but requires some voters to use provisional ballots. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, a Republican, celebrated the ruling as a victory for election integrity, emphasizing the need to enforce the law and prevent illegal voting by noncitizens.
The ACLU expressed disappointment with the court’s decision, fearing that eligible voters could be disenfranchised as a result of the ruling and the secretary of state’s directive. However, they noted that the lawsuit did lead to changes in the directive, allowing county auditors to permit voters on the list to cast regular ballots if they can prove their citizenship with documentation. The state officials revealed that there were about 250 noncitizens registered to vote in Iowa, although they were unable to obtain data on them from the Biden administration. Despite the victory claimed by Iowa officials, ACLU attorneys argued that the majority of people on the list are eligible to vote and should not have been included in the challenge.
The directive issued by the secretary of state instructed county elections officials to challenge ballots of potential noncitizens and have them cast provisional ballots instead, pending proof of U.S. citizenship within seven days. The federal judge noted that federal law already prohibits noncitizens from voting, and Iowa’s voter registration form requires individuals to declare their citizenship under penalty of felony conviction. The ruling came after a federal judge had halted a similar program in Alabama challenged by civil rights groups and the Department of Justice. Testimony from state officials in that case revealed that many of the voters made inactive were actually legally registered citizens.
While noncitizens registered to vote in Iowa may only represent a small fraction of the state’s registered voters, the federal judge acknowledged that some portion of the names on the list are likely not U.S. citizens. Despite concerns about potential disenfranchisement of eligible voters, the judge argued that an injunction would force local election officials to allow potentially ineligible voters to cast ballots. The legal battle over election integrity continues to be a contentious issue, with both Democrats and Republicans engaging in lawsuits related to various aspects of vote-casting. Immigrants gain citizenship through naturalization, a process that involves proving residency, knowledge of American history, and allegiance to the United States.
