Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate is submitting a package of election-related bills to the legislature.
Pate is asking is asking lawmakers for new authority to cancel voter registrations if his office cannot confirm someone is a citizen.
Last October, Pate’s staff released a list of potential non-citizens who got an Iowa driver’s license when they were legal residents and Pate asked county auditors to challenge General Election ballots cast by people on the list, in case they had not obtained citizenship. Pate says giving his office broader authority to check the records of state and federal agencies and work with private vendors would speed up the process of checking citizenship status.
Last November, there were recounts in close legislative races and a recount in a congressional race. Pate is seeking legislation to ensure recount procedures are the same in every county and to change how the members of recount boards are selected. Pate says taking action now — before the next General Election in 2026, makes sense.
Pate’s also proposing a ban on ranked-choice voting in Iowa elections.
