(Des Moines) A federal judge has ruled against a request to stop Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate’s challenge. Pate’s challenge was over two thousand people suspected to be noncitizens. The ACLU of Iowa had filed a lawsuit on behalf of naturalized citizens whose registrations were contested. In his ruling, Judge Stephen Locher stated that the challenges were based on inconsistencies in voter registration data rather than discrimination. The Governor and Secretary Pate praised the ruling as a victory for election integrity. Meanwhile, the ACLU expressed concern over potential disenfranchisement.
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird today issued a statement applauding the federal district court’s decision to uphold election integrity laws that prevent noncitizen voting:
“Today’s court victory guarantees all Iowans that their votes will count and not be canceled out by illegal votes. I was glad to lead the fight in court to defend Iowa’s long-standing election integrity laws. Only American citizens can vote in Iowa elections.”
