Federal Judge Allows Iowa to Challenge Voter Rolls, Raising Concerns for New Citizens’ Voting Rights
A federal judge has ruled that Iowa can continue to challenge the validity of hundreds of suspected non-citizen voters, despite opposition from recently naturalized citizens. The decision was made in response to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union. Judge Stephen Locher argued that the state’s efforts didn’t remove individuals from the voting register, but instead required the use of provisional ballots. The decision follows a similar ruling in Virginia that allowed a purge of its voter registration rolls, despite the impact on some US citizens. Critics argue the recent focus on potential non-citizens voting in elections is largely politically motivated.
John Q. Hosedrinker