SOS Pate encouraged new citizens to vote. Now, he’s challenging their ballots

For years, Secretary of State Paul Pate told naturalized citizens to register to vote. But two weeks ahead of this year’s presidential election, he’s telling election officials to challenge the ballots of many of those same people who have since become citizens.

Ten years ago, Secretary of State Paul Pate celebrated Constitution Day at a naturalization ceremony. 66 people from all over the world had finally obtained US citizenship and were being recognized at the federal courthouse in Des Moines. Back then, Pate’s message to them was to register to vote.

“I want to congratulate each of you for becoming citizens of this country. I congratulate you as you go out and live the American Dream,” he said. “And I wish you all the very best. And I hope that you’ll take time today to register to vote.”

He lauded Iowa’s work to encourage voter participation: same-day voter registration, the option to register online and a 40-day absentee ballot period (a window that has since been cut in half by the Republican-controlled Legislature). He pointed the new countrymen to the Iowa League of Women Voters of Des Moines who commonly set up tables at naturalization ceremonies to register new citizens to vote. 

“Your voice counts as a US citizen. We’d like to see you be a part of that,” he told the crowd of newly naturalized citizens.

Fast forward two weeks before Election Day 2024, and some things have changed. 

Pate has directed poll workers to challenge the ballots of 2,022 registered voters. Iowa Starting Line confirmed that the list includes naturalized US citizens. The Gazette reported that as of Friday at least four people on the challenge list in Linn County are US citizens. 

The state’s list has its origins in some data from the Iowa Department of Transportation. According to the Secretary of State’s Office, the data included any people who from 2000 to the present indicated that they were not citizens. Prior to becoming citizens, it’s common for residents to get a drivers license and indicate accurately that they are not citizens. But instead of checking current citizenship status against the U.S. Social Security Administration or federal immigration officials, some Iowans were notified last week that the state didn’t believe they were citizens. Despite being citizens. 

Have questions about voting Nov. 5? Check out Iowa Starting Line’s voter guide.

“Register to vote, get involved in your community & #BeAVoter!” his office wrote in 2017. “One of the new citizens sworn in today is an Iowa National Guard Member from Sudan. Several of his fellow soldiers were on hand to cheer him on. Great moment.”

It is difficult to determine the number of naturalized citizens on the list as the Secretary of State’s Office has so far refused to release it and told the county auditors to only release aggregate numbers of challenges in each county.