Iowa officials filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration Tuesday, seeking access to federal data on the citizenship status of over 2,000 registered voters questioned ahead of the 2024 election. The state’s Secretary of State Paul Pate and Attorney General Brenna Bird allege the U.S. Department of Homeland Security failed to provide requested information, leaving Iowa to rely on state data deemed “imperfect.”
The individuals in question were flagged after matching a state Department of Transportation list of noncitizens, though many may have naturalized since. Critics, including the ACLU of Iowa, argue that the DOT data is unreliable, pointing to naturalized citizens as wrongfully challenged. A lawsuit to halt such challenges was denied before Election Day, leaving provisional ballots as a resolution mechanism.
Preliminary results show that at least 500 of the flagged individuals confirmed their citizenship and had their votes counted, while 74 ballots were rejected for lack of follow-up documentation. Most flagged individuals, however, did not vote.
While illegal voting by noncitizens is rare, the issue has become a focal point for Republican messaging, including from President-elect Donald Trump. Iowa officials stress their intent to balance election integrity with voter access, maintaining all flagged individuals on voter rolls pending confirmation of their citizenship.
