Elected officials in Iowa are responding to a U.S. District Court ruling upholding a plan from the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office to prevent noncitizens from voting in tomorrow’s (Tuesday) election. On Sunday, a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa denied an injunction against Iowa’s election integrity laws, which would have required Iowans with questionable citizenship status to provide proof of citizenship before their ballot may be counted. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa upheld Secretary of State Paul Pate’s enforcement of these laws, rejecting efforts to challenge the rules. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds called the decision “a victory for election integrity,” emphasizing Iowa’s commitment to ensuring that only citizens participate in elections. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird defended the law and praised the ruling, saying, “[Sunday’s] court victory is a guarantee for all Iowans that their votes will count and 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.” Only 2,176 voters could potentially be affected by the decision. Read the court’s full ruling below.
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