Paul D. Pate
Republican · IA · Iowa Secretary of State
Paul D. Pate is Iowa's Secretary of State. His official biography describes his service as Secretary of State, former mayor of Cedar Rapids, and former state legislator, and highlights his work on Iowa election administration, business services, Safe at Home, and Iowa Businesses Against Trafficking.
Track record
Government Efficiency
· 2 records
After gaining access to the federal SAVE program, Pate announced that his office reduced an initial list of potential noncitizens to 277 confirmed noncitizens registered to vote, referred those cases for investigation, and pursued legislation and litigation to support citizenship verification.
March 20, 2025For
Source: sos.iowa.gov · researched July 7, 2026
Pate unveiled Iowa's electronic voter registration system with the Iowa Department of Transportation, allowing eligible residents with a driver's license or state ID to register or update registration online.
January 4, 2016For
Source: sos.iowa.gov · researched July 7, 2026
Election Integrity
· 4 records
After gaining access to the federal SAVE program, Pate announced that his office reduced an initial list of potential noncitizens to 277 confirmed noncitizens registered to vote, referred those cases for investigation, and pursued legislation and litigation to support citizenship verification.
March 20, 2025For
Source: sos.iowa.gov · researched July 7, 2026
Pate directed county auditors to have poll workers challenge ballots from individuals identified in a voter-registration audit as self-reported noncitizens, while allowing them to cast provisional ballots.
October 22, 2024For
Source: sos.iowa.gov · researched July 7, 2026
Pate launched an election cybersecurity vulnerability disclosure program with Bugcrowd to let private-sector security researchers test Iowa election infrastructure and report vulnerabilities.
October 1, 2020For
Source: sos.iowa.gov · researched July 7, 2026
Pate was unanimously elected president of the National Association of Secretaries of State and received the NASS IDEAS Award for an election cybersecurity initiative built around partnerships with county, state, and federal agencies.
July 8, 2019For
Source: sos.iowa.gov · researched July 7, 2026
Data Privacy
· 1 record
Pate launched an election cybersecurity vulnerability disclosure program with Bugcrowd to let private-sector security researchers test Iowa election infrastructure and report vulnerabilities.
October 1, 2020For
Source: sos.iowa.gov · researched July 7, 2026
Civil Rights
· 2 records
Pate unveiled Iowa's electronic voter registration system with the Iowa Department of Transportation, allowing eligible residents with a driver's license or state ID to register or update registration online.
January 4, 2016For
Source: sos.iowa.gov · researched July 7, 2026
After the governor signed the Safe at Home Act, Pate said his office would administer the address-confidentiality program for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, and stalking.
May 7, 2015For
Source: sos.iowa.gov · researched July 7, 2026
General
· 2 records
Pate was unanimously elected president of the National Association of Secretaries of State and received the NASS IDEAS Award for an election cybersecurity initiative built around partnerships with county, state, and federal agencies.
July 8, 2019
Source: sos.iowa.gov · researched July 7, 2026
As an Iowa state senator in the 73rd General Assembly, Paul D. Pate served on Appropriations, Commerce, Small Business and Economic Development, and as ranking member on the Environment and Energy Utilities Committee.
January 1, 1989
Source: legis.iowa.gov · researched July 7, 2026
Elections
- Secretary of State · November 3, 2026 · Iowa · incumbent
Profile last researched July 6, 2026.