(The Epoch Times)—A federal judge ruled on Sunday that Iowa election officials may continue to follow Secretary of State Paul Pate’s directive to challenge the ballots of 2,176 registered voters who have been identified as possible noncitizens.
The ruling came as a recent Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa poll forecast Vice President Kamala Harris leading in Iowa by three points over former President Donald Trump, while other polling organizations estimate that Trump is still ahead in what has been a safely Republican state in recent years.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Iowa filed a lawsuit on behalf of four naturalized citizens on Oct. 30, alleging that Pate’s directive to check registered voters’ citizenship status violated the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution.
On Oct. 22, Pate directed Iowa county auditors to challenge the ballots of voters who had previously identified themselves as noncitizens to the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT).
In its lawsuit, the ACLU argued that Pate’s list of voters whose ballots would be challenged was based on outdated DOT records, and that many of those listed have already been proven to be citizens.
It alleged that the secretary’s directive places “severe burdens” on the voting rights of the affected voters by keeping the list secret, which it said could undermine their ability to resolve their eligibility.
Pate responded that voters will be allowed to cast a provisional ballot instead, which will be counted if they can prove their citizenship.
U.S. District Judge Stephen Locher declined to grant a preliminary injunction, citing the finding that “some portion” of the registered voter names on Pate’s list have indeed been confirmed to be non-citizens.
“This portion appears to be relatively small—no more than 12 percent—but, still, the injunctive relief requested by Plaintiffs effectively would force local election officials to permit those individuals to vote,” Locher stated in a Nov. 3 ruling.
The plaintiffs had argued that Pate’s directive violates the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), which requires that states complete any program for removing ineligible voters within 90 days before an election.
-
Don’t wait for a stock market crash, dedollarization, or CBDCs before securing your retirement with physical precious metals. Genesis Gold Group can help.
However, Locher ruled that the NVRA was not implicated in this case because the state had not removed any voters from the voter rolls, and was only requiring them to cast provisional ballots.
“Secretary Pate’s letter is likely to impose a modest additional burden on at least some voters who should not have to bear that burden. All the same, those voters are still permitted to vote and have their ballots counted. The harm is therefore not irreparable,” the judge stated.
Pate last week had blamed the federal government for blocking his office from meeting the 90-day rule, saying that the audit was delayed to October by a lack of cooperation by the Department of Transport, which did not grant access to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database for confirming citizenship.
In a statement, Pate hailed the court’s ruling as a “win for Iowa’s election integrity,” emphasizing the importance of ensuring that only eligible voters can participate in Iowa’s election process.
He said that his office would continue to seek clarity on the citizenship status of voters who had previously self-reported to be noncitizens, while urging the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office to allow the Iowa field office to release information about those voters.
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird stated on X that the ruling ensured that Iowans’ votes will not be canceled out by illegal votes.
“I was glad to lead the fight in court to defend Iowa’s long-standing election integrity laws. Only American citizens can vote in Iowa elections,” she said in a statement.
The Epoch Times has reached out to the ACLU for comment but did not hear back by publication time.
It’s becoming increasingly clear that fiat currencies across the globe, including the U.S. Dollar, are under attack. Paper money is losing its value, translating into insane inflation and less value in our life’s savings.
Genesis Gold Group believes physical precious metals are an amazing option for those seeking to move their wealth or retirement to higher ground. Whether Central Bank Digital Currencies replace current fiat currencies or not, precious metals are poised to retain or even increase in value. This is why central banks and mega-asset managers like BlackRock are moving much of their holdings to precious metals.
As a Christian company, Genesis Gold Group has maintained a perfect 5 out of 5 rating with the Better Business Bureau. Their faith-driven values allow them to help Americans protect their life’s savings without the gimmicks used by most precious metals companies. Reach out to them today to see how they can streamline the rollover or transfer of your current and previous retirement accounts.
Angry Leftists Plot to Tank Trump Economy by Not Spending Any Money Once He’s in Office
by The Gateway Pundit
Most people are expecting the economy to improve under Trump and these people don’t want that to happen, or at least don’t want Trump to get any credit for it. They would rather that people remain miserable than see Trump and the country do well. Breitbart News reports: Leftists Pledge…
Ohio Man Faces Prison Term for Laundering More Than $300 Million in Bitcoin
by The Epoch Times
Ohio-based Larry Dean Harmon has been sentenced to three years in prison for operating a cryptocurrency service used by criminals for laundering millions of dollars, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Harmon, 41, ran a Bitcoin mixer called Helix that was “highly sought after by online drug dealers…
Sabotage: Two Undersea Internet Cables Connecting Four NATO Nations Were Severed
by Publius
Many in the international community are claiming sabotage as the only viable explanation for two fiber optic internet cables in the Baltic Sea being severed less than 24-hours apart. Fingers are being pointed at Russia as one of the the cables connected NATO nations Germany and Finland. The latter was…
“Massive Breach”: T-Mobile Network Hacked by Chinese State Sponsored Intelligence
by Tyler Durden, Zero Hedge
(Zero Hedge)—Where’s John Legere in a pink t-shirt when you need him? Among the multiple stories over the last few weeks about Chinese intelligence and hackers either attempting to, or outright gaining access, to U.S. cell phone networks (with reports stating President Trump and his team were targeted), comes news…
Income Needed to Afford a Home Hits Record High in U.S. Cities
by Dallas Express
Owning a single-family home in the U.S. now requires an average annual income of $107,700, nearly double the income needed in 2019, according to a new report by Oxford Economics. This increase is attributed to soaring home prices and nearly doubled mortgage rates over the past five years, the New…
Senators Ask Cyber Review Board to Conduct Investigation on Chinese Hack Group
by The Epoch Times
A bipartisan group of senators has urged a federal review board to immediately begin an investigation into a Chinese hacking group’s attacks against the United States, according to a recent letter sent to Robert Silvers, undersecretary for policy at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Led by Sen. Eric Schmitt…
Russian Officials Believe That “NATO Has Gone to War With Russia”
by Michael Snyder
Editor’s Commentary: Before we get into the article and video below by Michael Snyder, I want to make an important note. I do not believe that Russia is in any condition to actually go to war with NATO. I also do not believe that Donald Trump is, in any way,…
‘That’s Not Helpful’: Harris Faulkner Slams Dem Guest After He Claims Americans Don’t Understand How Strong Economy Is
by Daily Caller
Fox News host Harris Faulkner called out a Democratic guest Monday after he claimed American voters didn’t understand that the economy was “strong.” President-elect Donald Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris, securing more than the 270 electoral votes necessary to win the presidency in the early morning of Nov. 6…
Global Propagandists Find Out: AP to Slash Staff by 8% as Major News Outlets Stop Buying Its Content
by JD Rucker
Everyone in legacy corporate media is struggling with the possible exception of Fox News. Following Donald Trump’s election victory, the writing on the wall that legacy media has been pretending wasn’t there became too bright to ignore. The people don’t trust the media. It’s not because of the Trump victory….
Trump to Declare a National Emergency to Conduct Mass Deportations
by Tyler Durden, Zero Hedge
(ZeroHedge)—President-elect Donald Trump confirmed Monday that he will declare a national emergency to carry out mass deportations. In response to Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton’s post on Truth Social that Trump was “prepared to declare a national emergency and will use military assets to reverse the Biden invasion through a…
Gov. Youngkin’s Executive Order Seeks to Address Virginia’s Housing Shortage
by Just The News
From now on, economic and housing development will be tied more closely together in Virginia, according to the latest executive order from the governor. Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued and announced Executive Order 42 in Thursday at the annual Virginia Governor’s Housing Conference. The order brings the commonwealth’s economic development and…
“Hopefully No More”: How Trump Appointments Could Sway the Balance of Power in the House
by Owen Klinsky, DCNF
(DCNF)—President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks could temporarily jeopardize the GOP’s slim majority in the House of Representatives. The GOP has held on to control of the House, securing the 218 seats needed for a majority with five races still yet to be called, according to The Associated Press. However, Trump…
Ramaswamy Expects ‘Mass Reductions’ in Federal Government Under Trump
by Daily Wire
There will be “mass reductions” in the federal government under President-elect Donald Trump‘s second administration, Vivek Ramaswamy predicted this weekend. Ramaswamy, whom Trump picked to lead the brand new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) along with Elon Musk, spoke to Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo on “Sunday Morning Futures” about…
Texas Again Breaks Its Own Jobs Records
by Bethany Blankley, The Center Square
(The Center Square)—Texas continues to break jobs records every month and October was no different. Texas again grew jobs at a faster annual rate than the national job growth rate over the year in October. It also set a new record high for the greatest number employed in the civilian…
Congresswoman Nancy Mace to File Resolution Banning New Trans Congressman From Women’s Restrooms
by JD Rucker
Despite all of the amazing victories the GOP had on Election Day in the ongoing battle against wokeness, there was one conspicuous loss. Delaware elected “Sarah” McBride (born “Tim”) as the first trans member of Congress. Congresswoman Nancy Mace is calling on her GOP colleagues to pass a resolution banning…