Heavily Redacted Voter Records of Ex‑Des Moines Superintendent Trigger Federal Lawsuit Threat

A legal dispute has erupted after Prince George’s County, Maryland, released heavily redacted voter registration documents for Ian Andre Roberts — an immigrant who served as superintendent of the Des Moines public schools before his arrest by federal authorities this year.

What was released and why it matters

Copies of the voter registration application show roughly 18 black boxes obscuring basic biographical fields, including sex, whether the applicant affirmed U.S. citizenship, and date of birth. The documents were produced in response to a public‑records request by the American Accountability Foundation (AAF); the conservative election‑integrity group Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections (RITE) is representing AAF in seeking fewer redactions.

The legal challenge

Justin Riemer, CEO of RITE, contends the county exceeded what federal law permits to be withheld. Riemer says it is reasonable to redact sensitive identifiers such as Social Security or driver’s license numbers, but that items like gender and a citizenship checkbox are public under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). In a formal letter to the Prince George’s County Board of Elections, Riemer demanded the records be produced with fewer redactions by Dec. 1, 2025, warning that his clients will sue in federal court in Maryland under 52 U.S.C. § 20507(i) if the board fails to comply within 90 days.

Background on Ian Andre Roberts

Roberts, who was born in Guyana and first entered the United States in 1994, was serving as superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district when Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested him in September. Authorities say his employment authorization had expired in 2020. Department of Homeland Security records and court filings released since the arrest detail a string of prior encounters with law enforcement dating back to the 1990s.

Earlier incidents cited by authorities include a 1996 narcotics charge in New York, a 1998 vehicle‑use charge that was later dropped, a 2012 Maryland conviction for reckless driving, 2020 weapon possession charges, and a 2022 conviction in Pennsylvania for unlawful possession of a loaded firearm. Following the September arrest, Roberts was taken into U.S. Marshals custody and was federally charged on Oct. 2 with being an illegal alien in possession of firearms; officials say he attempted to flee and that law enforcement found $3,000 in cash, a Glock 9mm pistol and a hunting knife at the scene. The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners has revoked his license to serve as a superintendent.

Next steps and public interest

Riemer said he has not yet received a substantive reply from the county board and believes officials may be consulting state election authorities and the attorney general’s office about how to proceed. He noted his organization prevailed in a related NVRA lawsuit against Maryland earlier in the year and warned that continued broad redactions could prompt further litigation.

The dispute highlights broader tensions over public access to voter registration records, the limits of permissible redactions, and how election officials balance privacy with transparency. Prince George’s County election officials have not yet issued a public response to the letter demanding less‑redacted records.