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Selected Press Releases
For Immediate Release: November 30, 2020
MEDIA RELEASE: State Canvassing Board certifies results of Iowa’s 2020 general election
“I’m proud of all the work our election officials and poll workers put in and of the way Iowans showed up in record numbers to make their voices heard,” Secretary Pate said. “Despite the pandemic, we had record-breaking turnout in the June primary and November general election. That shows once again that Iowans’ commitment to civic engagement is unrivaled.”
All 24 counties conducted a recount of results in Iowa’s Second Congressional District race. The official numbers following the recount show Mariannette Miller-Meeks winning over Rita Hart by six votes, 196,964-196,958.
“This race reinforces that every single vote can make a difference and hopefully sends a message about how important it is to be a voter,” Secretary Pate said.
Below are some statistics from Iowa’s 2020 general election:
- Voter turnout was 1,700,130, setting a new state record. The previous high was 1,589,951 set in 2012.
- 1,001,573 Iowans cast absentee ballots, another state record. That accounted for 58.9% of all ballots.
- The percentage of registered voters that participated was 75.77%, one of the highest turnout rates in the country.
- Every county in the state surpassed 65% turnout.
- Harrison County had the best turnout percentage, 87.5%.
- 14 counties surpassed 80% turnout: Benton, Bremer, Cedar, Dallas, Delaware, Fayette, Grundy, Harrison, Kossuth, Madison, Ringgold, Sioux, Warren, and Wayne.
The State Canvassing Board is comprised of Iowa’s Governor, Secretary of State, Secretary of Agriculture, State Auditor and State Treasurer.
The full State Canvass is available on the Secretary of State’s website at this link.
Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate
For Immediate Release: November 4, 2020
MEDIA RELEASE: Iowa shatters general election turnout record
DES MOINES – Secretary of State Paul Pate announces Iowans broke the all-time turnout record for a general election. More than 1,697,000 Iowans voted, easily surpassing the previous state record of 1,589,951 set in 2012.
More than one million Iowans voted absentee, another new record. As of Wednesday morning, 1,001,840 absentee ballots were received by county auditors. Absentee ballots postmarked by November 2 and received by noon on November 9 will be counted. All results remain unofficial until canvassing is completed and the results are certified on November 30.
“I want to send a big thank you to Iowa voters, poll workers, county election officials, and my staff,” Secretary Pate said. “This was an election like no other and everyone stepped up. Record turnout during a pandemic is an amazing achievement and overall, the process went very smoothly in Iowa. Also, huge thanks to our state and federal partners for helping us provide safe and secure elections.”
76 percent of all registered voters in Iowa participated, one of the highest turnout rates in the nation. On Monday, Iowans set a record for active registered voters. The new all-time high as of November 2 is 2,095,581.
Every county will now conduct post-election audits in randomly selected precincts to help ensure the integrity of the vote.
You can view the unofficial results for every county at this link.
A video/audio clip from Secretary Pate is available for your use at this link.
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Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate
For Immediate Release: November 2, 2020
MEDIA RELEASE: Iowans set new record for voter registration
DES MOINES – A record number of Iowans are registered to vote, Secretary of State Paul Pate announced today. Iowa has 2,095,581 active registered voters in the state. The previous high came in the months following the 2016 general election.
“Iowa is one of the top 10 states in the nation for voter registration and participation,” Secretary Pate said. “I’m glad to see so many people engaged in the process heading into Tuesday’s general election.”
More than 90 percent of Iowa’s eligible population is registered to vote.
“It has never been easier to register to vote in Iowa, whether it’s online, through the mail or at the polls on Election Day,” Secretary Pate added. “I want every eligible Iowan to be a voter.”
The current statewide active voter registration totals breakdown as follows:
- Democratic: 699,001
- Republican: 719,591
- No Party: 659,488
- Other: 17,501
- TOTAL: 2,095,581
As of Monday morning, 1,036,409 Iowans have requested an absentee ballot for the 2020 general election. 955,971 ballots have been received by county auditors.
A graphic detailing the statewide voter registration numbers by political party is available here.
A graphic detailing the voter registration numbers by congressional district is available here.
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Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate
For Immediate Release: October 26, 2020
MEDIA RELEASE: Secretary Pate partners with Iowa company to protect election cybersecurity
DES MOINES – Pratum, a cybersecurity firm based in Ankeny, is assisting the Secretary of State’s Office and all 99 counties to protect elections by helping with several initiatives aimed at securing the vote and preparing election officials.Secretary of State Paul Pate organized workshops in July where county auditors, emergency managers, IT directors, vendor partners, and other stakeholders worked with Pratum to develop an incident response plan every county could utilize for a variety of scenarios.
“As election officials, we prepare for the worst, but hope for the best,” Secretary Pate said. “Whether it’s a cyber event, civil unrest, equipment failure, or a natural disaster, we have a plan and we are prepared to handle it. Pratum has provided valuable insight to assist all 99 counties with setting up the necessary action steps to deal with any problem that might occur.”
Pratum also assisted the state in boosting its cyber maturity.
“Our consultants have helped Secretary Pate’s Office develop a full range of security efforts, including penetration testing, training employees to spot e-mail scams, and tracking daily network activity to stop hackers before they get in. As Iowans ourselves, we’re proud to see our state focused on this critical area,” said Dave Nelson, Founder and CEO of Pratum.
By creating and enhancing partnerships with state and federal agencies, the military, global cyber companies, independent security researchers and local companies like Pratum, Secretary Pate continues to make cybersecurity a top priority to help ensure Iowa’s elections are protected at every level.
“Drawing on the expertise of third-party companies and building effective partnerships like the one with Pratum is critical in order to maintain a fully functional and comprehensive information security program. Iowans are fortunate to have these cybersecurity professionals at their disposal,” said Jeff Franklin, Chief Cybersecurity Officer for the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office.
Foreign adversaries and bad actors are constantly looking for ways to disrupt U.S. elections. However, Iowans should remain confident that the state and its partners are taking all the necessary steps to protect the sanctity of their vote.
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Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate
For Immediate Release: October 15, 2020
MEDIA RELEASE: Secretary Pate partners with cybersecurity leaders to protect Iowa's elections
DES MOINES – Secretary of State Paul Pate has extended Iowa's election cybersecurity partnerships to include private industry leaders such as Cisco, FireEye and Microsoft. These companies bolster Iowa's election infrastructure to ensure the integrity of the system remains strong. These private sector collaborations supplement the Secretary of State's partnerships with local, state and federal agencies such as the Iowa National Guard, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, giving Iowa's elections robust cybersecurity protections at every level.
"We have doubled down on our cybersecurity efforts this year with leaders in the cybersecurity industry," Secretary Pate said. "Protecting the integrity and security of state's elections requires a massive team effort, and we're working with public and private entities to build the strongest team possible. I am confident, and the public should be reassured, that we are taking all of the necessary steps to protect their vote in all 99 counties."
Filtering email, detecting malware, threat hunting and incident response are all core components of any mature cybersecurity program. By partnering with FireEye, the Office of the Iowa Secretary of State is more prepared now than it has ever been to detect, prevent and respond to a cybersecurity incident.
"We applaud Secretary Pate and the Iowa Secretary of State's Office for the proactive measures they've been taking to bolster election security," said Ron Bushar, Senior Vice President of Government Solutions at FireEye. "By establishing a flexible yet robust incident response capability with our Mandiant experts, Iowa is better prepared to respond quickly to election security cyber threats should they arise – before, during and after the election. Building in this system integrity and resiliency is critical as states prepare for the fast approaching 2020 presidential election and beyond."
Assessing and understanding your cybersecurity risks is a crucial endeavor for every organization. The Secretary of State's Office was pleased to partner with the CISCO Talos team to perform a thorough assessment of the Iowa's elections system in advance of the 2020 elections. Cisco's holistic review added valuable and objective insight into adversary threats and tactics, as well as methods to ensure protection of crucial components.
"We appreciate the opportunity to work with Secretary Pate's staff, county auditors and others who are working together to provide a secure and fair election for Iowans," said Matt Olney, Director of Threat Intelligence and Interdiction at Cisco Talos. "We share the goal of securing the Iowa voting system. We learned a great deal from our time in Iowa and are grateful for the opportunity to have shared our expertise on the tactics of foreign adversaries, growing role of disinformation and best practices we've observed in election security."
Communication and collaboration are critical when coordinating with all 99 counties in advance of an election. The Secretary of State's Office leveraged Microsoft SharePoint, Teams and Teams Meetings accounts to improve planning efforts, as well as collect and disseminate information to all 99 county auditors. Video conferencing, chat messaging, information sharing, and surveying contribute to a complete platform for remote communications.
Earlier this year, Secretary Pate hired Jeff Franklin to serve as the Chief Cybersecurity Officer for the Secretary of State's Office. Franklin served as Iowa's Chief Information Security Officer for the previous 10 years and has been recognized on the state and national level for his leadership and initiatives in the cybersecurity field.
"The Iowa Secretary of State's Office has a mature cybersecurity program and we continue to build on that foundation every day," Franklin said. "By partnering with industry leaders like Microsoft, Cisco and FireEye we continue to commit to protecting our elections and the integrity of the public's vote."
Secretary Pate's Office received the IDEAS Award from the National Association of Secretaries of State in 2019 for its "Roadmap to Election Cybersecurity" initiative. Election cybersecurity is a race without a finish line and Secretary Pate continues to find innovative ways to strengthen Iowa's cybersecurity. Earlier this month, Iowa became the second state in the nation to launch a Vulnerability Disclosure Program, inviting independent security researchers to test Iowa's election system.
A soundbite from Secretary Pate is available for your use at this link.
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Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate
For Immediate Release: October 2, 2020
MEDIA RELEASE: Secretary Pate unveils new resources to help Iowans with felony convictions understand voting process
Additionally, Secretary Pate launched a new interactive website, RestoreYourVote.Iowa.gov. It includes an FAQ section, direct links to Iowa’s voter registration portal, a toolkit for stakeholder groups to utilize and an easy-to-follow video that explains the voting process.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds issued an executive order in August that restored the voting rights of those who have completed all terms of their sentence. The exception is for homicide or related crimes.
“I agree with Governor Reynolds that Iowans who have served their time deserve a second chance and should be able to make their voices heard by voting. These resources will help Iowans with felony convictions participate in the process,” Secretary Pate said.
Secretary Pate received input from the Governor’s Office, the NAACP, the League of Women Voters, the Brennan Center for Justice and others on how to assist Iowans with felony convictions.
The Secretary of State’s Office and the Iowa Judicial Branch recently concluded an extensive review of its active felon database to ensure its accuracy. More than 90,000 records were manually reviewed by both agencies. The new database will be available for election officials ahead of the November 3 election.
A soundbite from Secretary Pate is available for your use at this link.
A video explaining the process for Iowans who have had their voting privileges restored is available here.
Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate
For Immediate Release: October 1, 2020
MEDIA RELEASE: Secretary Pate launches new measures to bolster Iowa’s election cybersecurity
“We already have a strong infrastructure in place, but election cybersecurity is a race without a finish line,” Secretary Pate said. “We are bolstering our cyber maturity by allowing responsible testing and reporting of our systems to the private sector.”
VDP is part of the core cybersecurity framework recommended by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Institute of Standard and Technology (NIST). Similar programs are utilized within the federal government and several fortune 500 companies. More than 50 researchers have already partnered with the Secretary of State’s Office on this new venture. To participate in the program, researchers should visit sos.iowa.gov/vulnerabilitydisclosureprogram.html.
“We are excited to partner with the State of Iowa to proactively counter cyber threats with the help of a crowd of researchers that specialize in election security, ensuring a strong and resilient cybersecurity posture and force multiplier to safeguard this year’s election,” said Bugcrowd CEO Ashish Gupta.
Protecting elections with proven cybersecurity controls is a top priority for the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office. Forging and building upon critical partnerships with federal, state, and local authorities as well as private sector industry leaders allows for continuous improvements to Iowa’s election infrastructure.
“Our latest partnership with Bugcrowd is yet another proactive measure we are taking to ensure our elections are cyber secure,” said Jeff Franklin, Chief Cybersecurity Officer for the Secretary of State’s Office. “We look forward to actively engaging the private security researcher community so we can strengthen our systems and ensure Iowa continues to be a leader in elections and cybersecurity.”
October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Secretary Pate received the prestigious 2019 IDEAS Award from the National Association of Secretaries of State for his efforts to protect election cybersecurity in all 99 counties.
A soundbite from Secretary Pate are available for your use at this link
Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate
For Immediate Release: September 17, 2020
MEDIA RELEASE: Secretary Pate partners with U.S. Homeland Security to provide election readiness exercises for counties
Each participant tackled simulations of various scenarios that could impact voter confidence and the integrity of elections.
“As election managers, we have to prepare for the worst, and hope for the best,” Secretary Pate said. “This was an important exercise to help counties identify best practices and areas for improvement. Election cybersecurity requires a team effort, and we all have to be united on that team, at the county, state and federal levels.”
Secretary Pate has received national recognition for his election cybersecurity efforts. Pate won the prestigious IDEAS Award in 2019 from the National Association of Secretaries of State for his “Partnerships Pay Dividends: A Roadmap to Election Cybersecurity” initiative.
“CISA has been working side-by-side with Secretary Pate and local officials around Iowa for more than three years to prepare for the 2020 elections, and today’s exercise gave us an opportunity to finetune processes and incident response plans before voters head to the polls,” said CISA Senior Cybersecurity Advisor Matt Masterson. “Voters have a role to play in securing our elections too, particularly during COVID, and they can do that by focusing on being a ‘3-P voter’ – prepared, participating, and patient. That means make a plan today for how you’re going to vote, sign up to be a poll worker if you’re healthy and able, and remember that everything may take a little longer this year, including reporting the results.”
More than 100 county and state officials participated in Thursday’s exercise.
“The tabletop exercise, with its extreme but completely believable scenarios, reminded us county auditors that there is no end to the challenges that can arise before, during and after an election,” said Black Hawk County Auditor Grant Veeder. “This was a good opportunity to share ideas and learn about resources, and to mentally prepare ourselves for the unexpected.”
“I found the tabletop exercise to be very beneficial,” said Ringgold County Auditor Amanda Waske. “By interacting with my peers, walking through the various scenarios, allowed me to really focus in on what needs improvements then update my incident response plan accordingly.”
Secretary Pate reminds Iowans that state and local election officials are the trusted sources for information and they are working together on a bipartisan basis to provide safe and secure elections.
For Immediate Release: September 11, 2020
MEDIA RELEASE: Secretary Pate partners with college football coaches on #BeAVoter initiative
“I want to thank Kirk Ferentz, Matt Campbell, Mark Farley and Todd Stepsis for stepping up and helping us promote the #BeAVoter initiative,” Secretary Pate said. “These great coaches are well-regarded across Iowa and the nation, and they can make a big impact on encouraging people to engage in the process.”
Each ad directs the viewer or listener to visit VoterReady.Iowa.gov, a one-stop-shop for state election information. Iowans can use the site to register to vote, download an absentee ballot request form, track its status, and find information about voting deadlines and requirements.
The partnership between Secretary Pate and the football coaches was developed through Learfield IMG College, which owns the athletics multimedia rights for the four schools.
Quotes from the four coaches are below:
“I encourage all Iowans to vote this November. There is no better way to engage with your community than by getting involved in the electoral process. Whether you participate in person or via absentee ballot, make a positive impact by registering to vote today.” – Iowa Hawkeye Head Football Coach Kirk Ferentz
“I believe that our democracy becomes stronger and more representative of us all with every voter. I urge all Iowans to do their part on November 3rd and get out and vote. Whether it’s in person or via an absentee ballot, I hope we all exercise this right that can make a positive impact within our communities.” – Iowa State Cyclone Head Football Coach Matt Campbell
“The electoral process is the most essential aspect of our democracy. I urge every Iowan to vote, whether by absentee ballot or in person. Start by registering to vote today and be ready to make an impact on November 3.” -Northern Iowa Panther Head Football Coach Mark Farley
“I firmly believe the first rule in getting better is to show up, so it’s important to show up and vote. We all need to do our part to put the people in office who we each believe will make the greatest country in the world an even better place.” – Drake Bulldog Head Football Coach Todd Stepsis
For Immediate Release: September 4, 2020
MEDIA RELEASE: Secretary Pate sending absentee ballot request forms statewide this weekend
DES MOINES – Iowans will begin receiving absentee ballot request forms from the Secretary of State’s Office this weekend. Secretary Paul Pate is sending the forms statewide to active registered voters ahead of the November general election to encourage social distancing at polling places during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Iowans have options about how they choose to cast their vote,” Secretary Pate said. “You can vote from home, you can vote in-person at your county auditor’s office, or at the polls on Election Day. The key is we want every eligible Iowan to participate and to be safe while voting.”
The forms include pre-paid, first class mail postage and an envelope to return the request form to the voter’s county auditor. Secretary Pate’s statewide mailing of absentee ballot request forms in the June primary resulted in record-high voter participation of more than 530,000 Iowans.
Many voters have already received absentee request forms for the November general election from county auditors, political parties and other groups. You only need to send in one form, unless you returned a mailing sent by your county auditor in Linn and Woodbury counties. Judicial rulings have invalidated forms that were pre-filled by those auditors. A hearing on a similar mailing sent by the Johnson County auditor is scheduled for Wednesday, September 9.
“For those voters in Linn and Woodbury counties, if you returned a pre-filled absentee request form from your county auditor, I encourage you to fill out this official form and return it,” Secretary Pate said. “Unfortunately, we had a few county auditors who made reckless decisions that have confused voters and possibly disenfranchised them. This mailing from my office will help ensure those Iowans receive ballots and are able to vote.”
The mailing from the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office includes information about how to vote absentee or on Election Day. County auditors will begin mailing ballots on October 5. Ballot request forms must be received no later than Saturday, October 24 at 5 p.m. Iowans can track that status of their absentee ballot at this link.
Images of the front and back of the Official State of Iowa Absentee Ballot Request Form mailing is available for your use.
Raw video of the mailer being processed is available for your use at this link.
Two soundbites from Secretary Pate are available for your use at this link and this link.