Iowa ACLU sues over Secretary of State’s report on potential non-citizen voters

Iowa Secretary of State flags voters

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(ABC 6 News) – Cerro Gordo County Auditor Adam Wedmore says he’s identified two individuals flagged in a list from Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate as U.S. Citizens who were eligible to vote.

Pate released an order to Iowa’s 99 county auditors on October 22, flagging 2,200 voter registration records as potentially those of non-citizens.

Several of the flagged individuals have been found to have been naturalized U.S. citizens, leading the ACLU of Iowa and others to file suit, claiming their rights to equal access at the polls is being “trampled on,” according to ACLU legal director Rita Bettis Austin, who claims that Pate is “spearheading an effort to disenfranchise Iowa U.S. citizens” when he should be protecting voting rights.

“He is fueling a false narrative about voter fraud by noncitizens and laying the groundwork to undermine confidence in the election,” she said.

Wedmore said his office was unable to contact the other four who were flagged by Pate’s report, but if they attempt to cast a ballot, it will immediately be flagged as provisional until their U.S. citizenship status can be verified.

“I think the voters both in Cerro Gordo County and all across the state of Iowa can rest assured that we have sound processes in place to make sure that the right voters are able to register and cast their ballot,” said Wedmore. “And if there’s any questions or concerns, there are formal processes to be able to challenge those voters. But we see that as a very minor incidence across the state.”