Secretary of State
Iowa
My vote power
Average
Election date
November 3, 2026 · General election
How do we calculate my vote power?
What goes into the rating: Representation: how much weight one vote carries here compared with a statewide vote — the smaller the district, the more each vote counts. Decisiveness: how likely this race is to be close, based on past results or current analyst ratings, plus the number of candidates.
Representation: Average · 50 out of 100
This district covers a large share of its state, so each vote carries about average weight — like a vote in a statewide race. About 3,210,507 people live here.
Show the representation math
score = 50 + 50 × ln(state population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(50,000) = 50 + 50 × ln(3,210,507 ÷ 3,210,507) ÷ ln(50,000) = 50, measured against a statewide vote in IA (grades: 66+ high, 55+ above average, 33+ average, otherwise low; a statewide race is the 50 baseline)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No analyst ratings or past results for this contest yet.
Average representation → My vote power: Average.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information.
About this office
- Running elections and certifying results, in most states
- Handling voter registration and how you vote, in most states
- Keeping business filings and official state records
Affects: Anti-Corruption, Government Efficiency, Election Integrity,
Candidates
Republican · Incumbent · declared
Paul D. Pate is Iowa Secretary of State and Commissioner of Elections. He previously served as mayor of Cedar Rapids and as a state legislator.
Records: Election Integrity 6 for, Civil Rights 1 for, Data Privacy 1 against,
Democratic · declared
Ryan Peterman is a Democratic candidate for Iowa Secretary of State. His campaign biography says he grew up in Bettendorf, served as a Naval Officer and Naval Aviator, worked on defense policy in the U.S. Senate as a Defense Fellow, and helped lead honor education at the U.S. Naval Academy.
Sources: sos.iowa.gov2