Court Hearing Held on Iowa's New Voter Rules

Secretary of State candidate Matt Schultz speaks at the 2010 Linn County Republican Caucus at Washington High School in Cedar Rapids on Saturday January 23, 2010. About 757 people attended the event. (Stephen Mally/Freelance)

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By Liz Blood

Story Created: Sep 6, 2012 at 7:08 PM CDT

Story Updated: Sep 6, 2012 at 7:08 PM CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Polk County judge is considering whether to block Iowa's Republican secretary of state from enacting rules to purge certain voters from Iowa's voter registration list and make it easier to report fraud.

The American Civil Liberties Union and the League of United Latin American Citizens filed a lawsuit last month to block Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz from enacting the rules he quietly issued July 20.

The first would allow Schultz to remove voters from Iowa's registration database by comparing that list against federal and state databases. The second would allow anyone to report allegations of voter fraud anonymously; current law requires complainants to sign a sworn statement.

The groups say Schultz overstepped his authority and the rules could suppress voters.

Judge Mary Pat Gunderson heard arguments Thursday.

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