Iowa, naturalized citizens settle lawsuit over voter eligibility ahead of 2024 election

Agreement prevents state from relying solely on driver's license data to challenge voter eligibility

Published on Feb. 12, 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 citizens had sued Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, alleging he infringed on their rights to vote when he directed election workers to challenge ballots from about 2,000 registered voters identified as possible noncitizens.

Why it matters

The settlement aims to safeguard the voting rights of naturalized citizens in Iowa, who make up a growing share of the state's electorate. It also highlights the challenges states face in verifying voter eligibility, balancing the need to maintain accurate voter rolls with protecting the fundamental right to vote.

The details

Under the agreement, Iowa can now use the federal government's Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to check the citizenship status of thousands of voters, an upgrade from relying solely on state driver's license data. The 2024 list of challenged voters has also been rescinded and cannot be used for any future ballot-related challenges or voter list maintenance efforts.

  • In late October 2024, the naturalized U.S. citizens sued Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate.
  • On February 11, 2026, Iowa's top election official and the group of naturalized citizens settled the federal lawsuit.

The players

Paul Pate

Iowa's Secretary of State, a Republican who directed election workers to challenge ballots from about 2,000 registered voters identified as possible noncitizens.

Rita Bettis Austen

The ACLU of Iowa's legal director, who saw the settlement as a win for protecting the voting rights of naturalized citizens.

Brenna Bird

Iowa's Republican Attorney General, who called the outcome a victory for the state's use of federal databases to verify voter rolls.

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What they’re saying

“The overwhelming majority of voters wrongly put on this list, including all our clients, are naturalized United States citizens who have the right to vote. We are hopeful today's settlement will safeguard Iowans from this happening again in future elections.”

— Rita Bettis Austen, ACLU of Iowa's legal director

“We are now using federal databases to verify Iowa's voter rolls.”

— Paul Pate, Iowa Secretary of State

“We are hopeful today's settlement will safeguard Iowans from this happening again in future elections.”

— Rita Bettis Austen, ACLU of Iowa's legal director

What’s next

The settlement, signed by both parties, was filed in court on February 11, 2026 but had not yet been accepted by a federal judge.

The takeaway

This settlement highlights the ongoing efforts to balance the need for accurate voter rolls with protecting the voting rights of naturalized citizens, who make up a growing share of the electorate. It demonstrates the challenges states face in verifying voter eligibility, and the importance of using reliable and inclusive data sources to maintain voter lists.