Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a new election law Monday allowing poll workers to question voters about their citizenship, sparking criticism from civil rights groups who warn it could lead to voter intimidation and racial profiling, The Hill reported.
House File 954 requires voters whose citizenship is questioned to present documentation verifying their legal status. If the documents do not satisfy election officials, the individual will be limited to casting a provisional ballot until their status is confirmed by state or federal records.
The law comes amid heightened concern among Republicans over alleged voter fraud by noncitizens, claims that intensified last year when President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance raised alarms about immigrants without legal status participating in elections.
Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate echoed similar concerns, challenging 2,000 ballots just days before the 2024 general election. However, a subsequent investigation found that only 35 of the 1.7 million votes cast were submitted by noncitizens.
"Proud to stand with @IAGovernor Reynolds as she signed HF928 & HF954 into law, strengthening recounts and voter verification," Pate posted on X. "Thanks to Reps. @AustinHarrisIA & Bloomingdale, Sen. Rozenboom, our county auditors & the Iowa Legislature for supporting fair, secure elections in Iowa."
Under the new statute, the Iowa Secretary of State will be given a list of state residents over the age of 17 who have self-identified as noncitizens in records maintained by the Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT).
Additionally, the law establishes an "unconfirmed" registration status for individuals whose citizenship cannot be readily verified through official data.
Critics say the law could disenfranchise eligible voters and disproportionately affect communities of color.
"We are very concerned to see this bill signed into law. The Iowa Legislature should have focused on making sure that the Secretary of State was reined in after the illegal debacle we saw take place in the days leading up to the 2024 election using IDOT data," said Rita Bettis Austen, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa.
"We know that effort was a harmful failure, sweeping in thousands of fully qualified U.S. citizen voters in Iowa. But instead, this law reads like a recipe for more racial profiling, discrimination, and voter intimidation impacting qualified voters."
The law is scheduled to take effect July 1.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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