����vlog

NOW. GOOD EVENING. THANKS FOR WATCHING. AT FIVE. THE IOWA SECRETARY OF STATE’S OFFICE IS ASKING THE STATE TO INVESTIGATE NEARLY 200 NON-CITIZENS WHO HAVE REGISTERED TO VOTE OR VOTED IN PAST ELECTIONS. OUR CHIEF POLITICAL REPORTER, AMANDA ROOKER, HAS BEEN LOOKING INTO THIS TODAY. AND AMANDA, THE SECRETARY OF STATE, WANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT NON-CITIZENS DO NOT VOTE IN THIS ELECTION. RIGHT, LAURA? THAT’S A FELONY. AND THE IOWA SECRETARY OF STATE SAYS A RECENT AUDIT FOUND THESE NON-CITIZENS HAD VOTED IN PAST ELECTIONS. HE SAYS THIS IS NOT A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM IN IOWA. BUT HIS OFFICE IS TAKING IT VERY SERIOUSLY. IOWA’S SECRETARY OF STATE, PAUL PATE, WE WORK OVERTIME TO MAKE SURE WE’RE GIVING YOU THE CLEANEST AND MOST TRANSPARENT ELECTION WE CAN, SAYS HIS OFFICE IS CONSTANTLY CHECKING THAT ALL IOWA VOTERS ARE ACTUALLY ELIGIBLE TO VOTE. 99 COUNTY AUDITORS CONSTANTLY PROVIDE US NEW DATA. YOU KNOW, NEW PEOPLE REGISTERING PEOPLE WHO MOVED. PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE DIED. SO IT’S NEVER STOPPING. AND WHEN WE GET ADDITIONAL LISTS SOURCES, WE WILL RUN CROSS-CHECK THOSE. A RECENT CHECK WITH THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FOUND THAT 87 PEOPLE TOLD THE D-O-T THEY ARE NOT U.S. CITIZENS, BUT DID VOTE IN A PAST ELECTION. THE AUDIT ALSO FOUND THAT 67 PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT CITIZENS HAVE WRONGFULLY REGISTERED TO VOTE. WE’VE REACHED OUT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE AND SAID THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED, AND THESE INDIVIDUALS SHOULDN’T BE VOTING AND FURTHERMORE, THEY I THINK THEY MIGHT HAVE COMMITTED A CLASS D FELONY, WHICH IS FIVE YEARS IN PRISON IF THAT’S THE CASE. THE AUDIT ALSO FOUND THERE WERE ROUGHLY 2000 PEOPLE WHO HAVE VOTED OR REGISTERED TO VOTE, BUT THEIR CITIZENSHIP STATUS IS UNCLEAR. THERE’S A LAPSE IN TIMING BETWEEN WHEN THEY TOLD US THEY WEREN’T A U.S. CITIZEN AND GOT A DRIVER’S LICENSE, AND WHEN THEY POSSIBLY REGISTERED. SO WE WANT TO FILL THAT INFORMATION IN AND MAKE SURE IT’S ACCURATE. POLL WORKERS HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE NAMES OF THOSE PEOPLE AND ARE INSTRUCTED TO GIVE THEM A PROVISIONAL BALLOT THAT WILL BE SEALED AND SENT TO A BOARD TO REVIEW BEFORE IT CAN BE COUNTED. AND A 2.3 MILLION VOTERS. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT, I THINK IT’S 300 PRECINCTS WHO ONLY HAVE ONE OF THOSE NAMES IN IT. SO IF YOU’RE WORKING IN A POLL, YOU ONLY HAVE TO REMEMBER ONE NAME. AND IF IT COMES UP ON THE DATABASE OR SOMEONE TRYING TO VOTE, YOU’LL KNOW THAT’S THE ONE YOU WANT TO HAVE THEM VOTE PROVISIONAL. SO IT’S MANAGEABLE. IT’S JUST GOING TO REQUIRE A LITTLE MORE WORK THIS TIME. NOW THIS IS THE FORM. IF YOU’RE AN IOWAN REGISTERING TO VOTE THAT YOU’LL SEE YOU CAN SEE RIGHT UP THERE AT THE TOP THERE’S A BOX THAT YOU WOULD CHECK AFFIRMING THAT YOU ARE A U.S. CITIZEN. NOW IN IOWA. YOU’RE NOT REQUIRED TO PROVIDE ANY PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP, ALTHOUGH LYING ON THIS FORM CAN RESULT IN FINES AND POTENTIAL JAIL TIME. IOWA’S SECRETARY OF STATE SAYS HIS OFFICE WORKS TO VERIFY THAT ALL REGISTERED VOTERS ARE ACTUALLY U.S. CITIZENS. LIKE THEY SAY THEY ARE. BUT HE WANTS ACCESS TO MORE FEDERAL RECORDS AND POTENTIAL STATE LAW CHANGES TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR HIS OFFICE TO CHECK THAT INFORMATION. LAURA. ALL RIGHT. INTERESTING. THANKS, AMANDA. AND IOWA’S LEAGUE OF UNITED LATIN AMERICAN CITIZENS JUST SENT A STATEMENT TO THE NEWSROOM. THEY SAY THEY’RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE TIMING OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE’S AUDIT. JUST 14 DAYS BEFORE ELECTION DAY. THEY SAY THEY’RE QUESTIONING WHETHER IT’S POLITICALLY MOTIVATED. IN A STATEMENT, THE GROUP’S POLITICAL DIRECTOR WRITES, QUOTE, THE SECRETARY OF STATE ALREADY HAS SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE TO REVIEW PEOPLE BEFORE THEY ARE APPROVED AND RECEIVE A VOTER REGISTRATION CARD. PATE’S OFFICE SHOULD SHARE WHAT THEIR METHODS ARE IN THAT VERIFICATION PROCESS TO IDENTIFY ANY WEAKNESS. IF HE TRULY BELIEVES 2100 NONCITIZENS WE