Secretary of State plans to challenge over 2000 Iowa voters

Hunter
10/28/24

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate has a list of over 2000 Iowa voters that he plans to have challenged on or before election day, despite the fact that his office has acknowledged the list may have many people on it who are legal voters.

The list comes from entries in a database that goes as far back as 2000; Pate’s office has advised election officials to not release the names or other details publicly.

Iowa Starting Line obtained an email detailing special directions for poll workers on Election Day if the people on that list attempt to cast ballots, telling them they have a duty to challenge the voter under Iowa Code and offer them a provisional ballot. Provisional ballots are counted if the voter can prove their eligibility—either on Election Day, or to a special precinct board that reviews provisional ballots.

The Gazette reported that as of Friday at least four people on the challenge list in Linn County are US citizens. Linn County Auditor Joel Miller had not completed his review of Pate’s challenge list but was already finding more US citizens on it. Miller, who ran against Pate in 2022, called Pate’s actions “twisted political theatre.”

Voter fraud remains exceptionally rare in Iowa and nationwide.

An expansive effort to sow distrust in elections has been implemented by manufacturing the specter of noncitizen voting ahead of the 2024 election. Tactics have included attempts to purge voter rolls on the basis that they’re filled with noncitizens, filing baseless lawsuits claiming noncitizens are voting, spreading propaganda videos about noncitizens voting, and pushing ballot measures like the one on the ballot in Iowa that insinuate it is not already illegal for noncitizens to vote.

Iowa Starting Line says these efforts are almost certainly setting the stage for Donald Trump to challenge the election results if Vice President Kamala Harris wins the presidency.