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LULAC SAYS PATE SHOULD HAVE RELIED ON EXPERTS, NOT OLD DATA
With decades of experience registering new citizens as voters, Iowa civil rights group says they would have worked to assist state officials and the registered voters in question.
DES MOINES, Iowa – Now enjoined on a federal lawsuit filed by the ACLU, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) of Iowa says Iowa Secretary of State could have avoided legal action by seeking out information from those experienced in the questions and concerns that arise for new citizens registering to vote.
For over 65 years, one of the main functions of LULAC Iowa is to educate and register new voters. The group registers and average of ____ voters each year and understand the questions and concerns of new citizens registering to vote for the first time. The group is also keenly aware of questions of validity that may arise for voters who recently achieved their citizenship.
“We work with new…,” said Joe Henry, Political Director for LULAC Iowa. “LULAC (Iowa) has....”
The civil rights group strongly believes that the move by Pate was politically motivated. Leaders say they have been open to working with the Secretary of State’s office to help with misunderstandings that may arise. Though communication with the organization was once discussed, Pate’s office never followed up with LULAC
“Several years ago Secretary Pate told a group of us that he wanted to work with community stakeholders such as ourselves to protect the right to vote,” explains Henry. “We never heard back from him. Instead, right before an election he alerted the public that he isn’t sure if over 2,000 registered Iowa voters are eligible to vote, relying on old data.”
LULAC estimates that registered Latino voters in Iowa has quadrupled since 2020 and that the Latino community now makes up six percent of the state’s voter rolls.
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About LULAC
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s largest and oldest Hispanic civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 1,000 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit [lulac.org]lulac.org.
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