Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate is advocating for legislative changes to tighten voter registration processes and verify citizenship status. This follows a controversial pre-election announcement where Pate claimed up to 2,000 potential non-citizens were on Iowa’s voter rolls. Federal authorities later identified 250 non-citizens but withheld their names, prompting Pate to propose new measures.
His recommendations include allowing auditors to cancel non-citizen registrations, requiring the DOT to share non-citizen data, and authorizing his office to contract with federal agencies for verification. Pate has also sued the federal government for access to the SAVE list, which contains immigration statuses, and hopes for progress under the incoming Trump administration.
Other priorities include streamlining election recounts, enhancing cybersecurity reporting, and starting absentee ballot counts earlier on election day. Pate emphasized the need for consistency, security, and efficiency in Iowa’s election process.
