1. Who would be eligible to vote?
We believe that every lawfully resident Iowan should be eligible to participate in their local elections. Similar residency requirements should apply to non-citizen voters as to US citizen voters.
2. What about voter fraud?
Now that Iowa has fully rolled out the Real ID system, which includes a check for lawful immigration status, Iowa's voter ID laws would work as effectively to curb voter fraud for non-citizens as for citizens.
3. How many potential voters are there?
According to the US Census bureau, there were an estimated 95,318 non-US citizens in Iowa in 2019. That's 3% of our state's population.
4. If you want to vote, why not become a citizen?
Many people want to become US citizens, and meet all the requirements to become citizens, but are simply stuck in historically large USCIS backlogs. The process to become a citizen can take anywhere from a few years to several decades.
5. Would non-citizens vote in state elections?
At this time, our focus is on non-citizen residents to be able to vote in the elections directly concerning their local communities, not at the state level.
6. Could non-citizens run for local or state office?
That is something the Iowa legislature would have to decide on. Currently, only US citizens can be eligible voters, and only eligible voters can run for office. We believe it would make sense for any resident to participate in his local democracy in any way.
7. Is this part of a political party agenda?
No. E1V is an entirely non-partisan effort to include people in their local democratic processes. No political parties are involved in any way. Iowa's residents, regardless of citizenship status, have a diverse set of views and beliefs; especially when it comes to local issues.
8. What about voting reform?
We do not actively seek to reform the process of voting, to add or remove voter ID laws, or to alter any other part of the electoral system.