A civil rights organization and an Iowa State University student is suing Iowa’s secretary of state over a voter ID law they say infringes on Iowans’ ability to fairly cast a ballot.
The League of United Latin American Citizens of Iowa and ISU student Taylor Blair announced Wednesday morning that they are filing a lawsuit in Polk County District Court….
Pate released a statement defending the law against what he called a “baseless and politically motivated lawsuit,” which he alleged was “apparently timed to disrupt the June 5 primary elections.” He said the law has adequate safeguards to protect voters’ rights.
The plaintiffs also are seeking a preliminary injunction to block most provisions of the law from taking effect while the lawsuit is ongoing — potentially halting its enforcement during next week’s June 5 primary election….
In Facebook advertisements, the suit alleges Pate has said “Iowa voters will be asked to show a form of valid identification,” implying that such identification will be required to vote in 2018.
In fact, the law is in a “soft rollout” phase. Through the end of this year, eligible voters who do not have a valid form of ID will be asked to sign a form swearing to their identity. They can then cast a normal ballot.
And the plaintiffs accuse Pate of omitting some forms of identification allowed under the law, like an out of state driver’s license or an Iowa student identification presented with proof of address, on an FAQ page on the secretary of state’s website.
The information promoted by the secretary of state’s office will discourage voters who mistakenly believe they cannot vote this year unless they possess a valid form of identification, and add to poll-worker error that could disenfranchise voters, the suit argues.