Federal judge lets Iowa keep challenging voter rolls although naturalized citizens may be affected

A federal judge has ruled that Iowa can continue challenging the validity of hundreds of ballots from potential noncitizens. The ruling Sunday was a defeat for critics who said the effort threatened the voting rights of people who’ve recently become U.S. citizens. The state’s attorney general and secretary of state argued that investigating and potentially removing 2,000 names would prevent illegal voting by noncitizens. GOP officials across the U.S. have made potential voting by noncitizen immigrants an issue even though it is rare. U.S. District Judge Stephen Locher sided against the American Civil Liberties Union in a lawsuit it filed on behalf of four naturalized citizens on the state’s list.