Iowa, Naturalized Citizens Settle Lawsuit Over Voter Eligibility

Agreement reached ahead of 2024 election to prevent state from relying solely on driver's license data

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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Iowa's top election official and a group of naturalized citizens have settled a federal lawsuit that will prevent the state from relying exclusively on driver's license records for citizenship data in the three months before an election. The naturalized U.S. citizens had sued the Iowa Secretary of State, alleging he infringed on their rights to vote by challenging ballots from around 2,000 registered voters identified as possible noncitizens.

Why it matters

The settlement aims to protect the voting rights of naturalized citizens in Iowa ahead of the 2024 election, ensuring they are not unfairly targeted or disenfranchised based solely on driver's license data that may not accurately reflect their citizenship status.

The details

In late October 2024, a group of naturalized U.S. citizens sued Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, alleging he directed election workers to challenge ballots from around 2,000 registered voters the state had identified as possible noncitizens. The lawsuit claimed this infringed on the naturalized citizens' right to vote. The settlement reached on February 11, 2026 will prevent Iowa from relying exclusively on driver's license records for citizenship data in the three months before an election.

  • The lawsuit was filed in late October 2024.
  • The settlement was reached on February 11, 2026.

The players

Paul Pate

Iowa Secretary of State who directed election workers to challenge ballots from around 2,000 registered voters identified as possible noncitizens.

Naturalized U.S. citizens

A group of naturalized citizens who sued the Iowa Secretary of State, alleging he infringed on their right to vote.

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What they’re saying

“We must protect the voting rights of all Iowans, including naturalized citizens, to ensure a fair and inclusive electoral process.”

— Paul Pate, Iowa Secretary of State

What’s next

The settlement will be in effect for the 2024 election cycle, ensuring naturalized citizens in Iowa are not unfairly targeted or disenfranchised.

The takeaway

This case highlights the importance of safeguarding the voting rights of all eligible citizens, including naturalized citizens, to uphold the principles of democracy and ensure equal access to the electoral process.