Articles Tagged: Election laws

Pate, the state’s top elections official, had requested federal citizenship information for more than 2,000 Iowans in his effort to prevent non-citizens from voting in the Nov. 5 elections

County officials across the state will meet this week to publicly canvass and certify the results of the Nov. 5 election. Here’s a look at what happens next and how Iowa will certify the election results.

While total statewide figures are not yet known, information from the state’s largest counties shows more than 200 challenges from the Iowa Secretary of State’s list of more than 2,000 names.

After hearing a presentation from Georgia elections officials, the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office staffer started a review process that led to Paul Pate’s directive to challenge the ballots of 2,176 Iowans whose citizenship the office has been unable to determine

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are those of its author and do not represent the views or opinions …

A federal judge on Friday heard arguments and pledged a quick ruling in a lawsuit over Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate’s directive that poll workers challenge the ballots of 2,176 legal residents whose citizenship status is unclear to his office.

Iowa chapters of the ACLU and LULAC claim Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate’s order violates Iowans’ right to vote and due process.

The U.S. Department of Justice has contacted an unnamed state official about Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate’s directive, according to Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird.

Both Democrats and Republicans are generally supportive of proposed constitutional amendments that would impact voting eligibility and the gubernatorial line of succession

Other states’ amendment processes yield their own consequences

A fourth Linn County resident, who had requested an absentee ballot to vote in this election, also is a U.S. citizen and thus eligible to vote, County Auditor Joel Miller says.

Another 67 illegally registered to vote, and the legal status of 2,022 more who registered or voted remains unknown, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate says.

Iowa is among 26 states -- most of which are in the Eastern U.S. -- that do not have citizen-led ballot initiatives. Instead, the Iowa Legislature starts the process of amending the Iowa Constitution.

Also, Iowa AG Bird has sued a Washington state company over abandoned wind turbine blades

A case involving alleged registration and voting by a legal U.S. resident without U.S. citizenship in an Iowa city’s local elections will be prosecuted by Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird’s office.