In the anxious weeks before the 2024 November election, we took two actions to protect voting rights in Iowa. Two weeks before the election, we got wind that private parties outside of government were presenting mass challenges, asking for the cancellation of thousands of registered voters on the rolls in Johnson, Muscatine, and Pottawattamie counties, and possibly other counties.
Warning to Observe the "Quiet Period"
Some voters had already had their registrations wrongfully canceled after the federal 90-day deadline, which is in place precisely to prevent last-minute voter registration purges.
We sent a legal advisory letter to all county auditors and urged them to reinstate anyone they had improperly removed. We also alerted the media, getting extensive coverage of the issue. Thanks to our efforts, hundreds of voters were restored to the rolls before Election Day.
Making Sure New Citizens Can Vote
Additionally, just days before the election, we filed a lawsuit because the Iowa Secretary of State had created a list of 2,200 registered voters he suspected of being non-citizens, based on outdated Iowa driving records. He then used the list to direct local officials to challenge these people and block them from voting by regular ballots.
We were denied a full block of the directive before Election Day. But we were able to pressure the Secretary to back off, so that many people who presented proof of citizenship were able to vote with regular ballots.
Our litigation continues to prevent similar purges ahead of future elections.