County Auditor Questions Iowa Secretary of State’s Order on Election Challenges

DECORAH, Iowa (KCRG) – The Winneshiek County Auditor questioned the timing of the Iowa Secretary of State’s orders to question ballots on the prospective noncitizen list.

Secretary of State Paul Pate said his office has identified about 2,200 registered voters who identified themselves to the Iowa Department of Transportation as noncitizens with a driver’s license or non-driver identification card. Pate ordered counties to challenge those voters’ ballots to prove they were citizens.

However, DOT data is 24 years old and is often not up to date with current citizenship. So far, District auditors determined several dozen voters on the list as legal US citizens. This prompted The ACLU of Iowa and four citizens will file a lawsuit against the Secretary of State this week.

Winneshiek County Auditor Benjamin Steineswho is a Republican, is also named in that lawsuit. He said his office received an order involving nine registered voters, three of whom had already voted absentee. Steines says his office has an obligation to follow the Secretary of State’s orders and is challenging these ballots by requiring voters to prove their citizenship.

While Steines said the law requires his office to follow Secretary of State Pate’s orders and supports efforts to ensure that only U.S. citizens vote in elections, he disagrees with the directive.

“I disagree with the process and procedures currently administered by the Secretary of State, particularly with the timing and attempts to implement them too close to the election,” Steines said in a written statement. “Current procedures create additional burdens for naturalized citizens as well as election staff.”

Pate’s office pointed the finger at the federal government. Pate claims that U.S. Customs and Immigration Services blocked his efforts to confirm his citizenship status. Iowa senators Charles Grassley and Joni Ernst, yes sent a letter urging USICS to comply with Pate’s request.