Iowa’s Secretary of State has a history of attacking voters. That ends now.
Paul Pate (R)
In 2017, Paul Pate backed the Election Integrity Act, which introduced strict voter ID requirements. Despite acknowledging that Iowa had not experienced widespread voter fraud, he pushed for measures that could disenfranchise voters, particularly those from marginalized communities.
In the lead-up to the 2024 election, Pate directed county auditors to challenge the eligibility of over 2,000 registered voters suspected of being noncitizens. This directive was based on outdated data from the Iowa Department of Transportation, raising concerns about the accuracy of the list and the potential disenfranchisement of eligible voters.
Civil rights organizations, including the ACLU, filed lawsuits arguing that Pate’s actions could prevent lawful voters from casting their ballots. While Pate asserts that his initiatives aim to protect election integrity, his policies have created unnecessary barriers to voting, particularly for naturalized citizens and minority communities.