Voters were removed from Iowa's rolls improperly, an election official says

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Some Iowa voters were improperly removed from registration rolls by county election officials after challenges to their registration status were filed too close to the election, Iowa’s top election official confirmed Wednesday. County auditors may have processed removals stemming from challenges that were filed within 90 days of the election — a designated "quiet period'' during which only limited changes can be made to voter rolls, said Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate. The secretary of state said his office directed county auditors to contact their attorneys and get the voters put back on the rolls.

He said “most, if not all those counties” have done that. “Clearly we’re going to be following back up on that to make sure, but it has been addressed, and we hope that it’s been corrected,” he said. The American Civil Liberties Union and its Iowa affiliate highlighted the issue Tuesday, saying that individuals contacted their organization after being notified by their county auditor that their registration status was being investigated because of a challenge.

Pate did not say how many voters were actually removed. The ACLU identified three counties that saw mass challenges. The Associated Press left messages with those three county auditors seeking the information.

The National Voter Registration Act requires a 90-day quiet period ahead of elections for the maintenance of voter rolls so that legitimate voters are not removed from the r.