Pate Defends Voter Data Deal, Backs Absentee Voting at Iowa State Fair
Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate used his appearance at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox on Monday to defend his decision to share Iowa voter information with the federal government, tout the state's voter ID laws, and express confidence in absentee voting despite attacks from Washington.
Pate, a Republican seeking a fifth term, spoke to fairgoers on Aug. 17, the opening day of the Iowa State Fair. He framed the election as a moment for civic reflection during America's 250th anniversary.
“This is a special state fair, the 250th anniversary of this great country, to be able to reflect on what it means to be a citizen of this country,” Pate said. “One of those main issues is our right to vote, to have our voice heard in our government, and I think we've done an amazing job of doing that in this state.”
Pate faces Democrat Ryan Peterman, a former Navy pilot from Davenport, in the November election.
Why did Pate turn over Iowa voter information to the DOJ?
Pate faced pointed questions over his May decision to provide more than 2 million Iowa voter records, including partial Social Security numbers, to the U.S. Department of Justice. The request came as the Trump administration pursued similar data from other states.
Twenty states that refused to comply and sued the administration have all won their cases. But Pate said his decision was grounded in legal advice from his own attorneys and the Iowa Attorney General's office.
“I respect and understand how people are sensitive to it, because I was,” Pate told reporters after his speech. “We did not just turn it over. We spent a long time looking at it. It was not a request from the White House, so let's distinguish the difference here.”
His office argued the DOJ invoked authority under the Civil Rights Act of 1960, and that federal law superseded state restrictions on releasing the information. Pate said he refused to sign a memorandum of understanding from the DOJ and instead asked the department not to use the voter roll information for specific purposes.
Pate declined to specify the protections he requested.
“This is not a fishing trip to look for all kinds of things,” Pate said. “We wanna make sure they're focused on what they said the list was going to be for and not beyond that, because there was discussion about a lot of different things.”
What did Pate say about Iowa's voter ID laws and mail voting?
Pate highlighted Iowa's voter ID requirements, paper ballots, and online voter registration as key achievements that have boosted participation while securing elections. He pushed for the voter ID law in 2017, which took effect in 2019.
“I worked very, very hard to get us voter ID in this state,” Pate said. “I hope someday the Democrats will join us in Congress in getting us voter ID on the national level. But we have that here in our state.”
When asked about absentee voting amid President Donald Trump's criticism of mail-in ballots, Pate voiced confidence in Iowa's system and pushed back on federal interference.
“The president and the federal government is not going to prevent the post office from delivering their ballots,” Pate said. “Iowans really lean into being able to vote through the mail; we have a very high percentage of that. We've done it right in this state, and I caution the White House and anybody who wants to listen to us in D.C. that, come on, look at us in Iowa.”
How does Pate plan to keep politics out of election integrity?
Pate acknowledged that foreign actors and misinformation threaten public trust in elections. He said his office would continue to run elections in a nonpartisan manner if he is reelected.
“We have foreign actors who do this, trying to cause us to lose confidence in our elections, and we can't let them do that,” he said. “If they feel that they make progress on that, we could quickly see people lose confidence in the election results.”
“Let's keep the politics out of this as much as we can. I am not just a Republican running for office,” Pate added. “When I look at my job as secretary of state, I'm the referee. I don't wear a team jersey when I'm running these elections. I'm out there to make sure the rules are followed, the laws are followed.”
Pate's appearance comes as Iowa continues to rank among the top states for voter turnout, a statistic he credits to the state's balanced approach between accessibility and security.