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Iowa's top election official outlines security efforts ahead of Tuesday primary
Pate: ‘your vote will be counted accurately and securely’
JOHNSTON — Flanked by cybersecurity and law enforcement officials on Tuesday, Iowa’s top election official said Iowans’ votes in the 2024 primary election will be counted “accurately and securely.”
Voters will go to the polls next week — on Tuesday, June 4 — or vote early by absentee ballot, to select between candidates in either the Democratic or Republican primary, which will determine which candidates are on the Nov. 5 general election ballot.
Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said during a news conference at the State Emergency Operations Center in Johnston on Tuesday that a coalition of state, federal and local officials and agencies have worked to ensure Iowa’s June primary election is conducted fairly and securely.
The National Guard, Department of Homeland Security, federal agencies, and local auditors and poll workers all have contributed to the election process, Pate said.
“If you decide to vote in the 2024 primary, know that your vote will be counted accurately and securely,” Pate said. “You can rest assured that all of us here today are taking all the necessary steps to protect your vote and to protect the integrity of Iowa's elections.”
Pate laid out a list of measures the state takes to ensure votes are collected and counted properly:
- Iowans vote on paper ballots.
- Iowa conducts audits of ballot tabulators before and after elections.
- Audits take place in view of the public, and members of both political parties can observe.
- Vote tabulators are not connected to the internet.
After each election, county officials audit a random precinct in each of Iowa’s 99 counties, using a bipartisan team to hand count the ballots. Pate said the audits have matched the tabulating machines exactly in the last three elections.
“There is zero evidence of any unauthorized intrusions into Iowa’s election systems,” Pate said.
Pate, a Republican who has been Iowa’s top election official since 2015, ramped up his efforts to publicize Iowa’s election security efforts and combat misinformation about election practices in 2022.
Former President Donald Trump’s campaign of false claims of election fraud after his 2020 loss, including in Iowa rallies, has fueled skepticism among Republicans in the nation’s election results, according to a 2023 Associated Press poll.
Despite the track record of secure elections, state officials have conducted exercises and training to prepare for any threats to the state’s election system, said Iowa Department of Homeland Security Director John Benson.
On Election Day, a Homeland Security team will be set up in the State Emergency Operations Center to monitor any threats to the election process. Benson said the team has not seen any major issues in recent elections.
“If something does happen, we’re already in a spot where we can effectively respond to anything that may happen in the state,” he said. “Our goal is that we're prepared, and ultimately we don't want to have to do anything. I'm perfectly happy to have my folks sit in here for a complete day and have nothing for them to do.”
Federal cybersecurity efforts grow
Cait Conley, a senior adviser to the director at the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), detailed the work done at the federal level to keep elections secure during Tuesday’s news conference.
Conley said CISA advisers have met with election officials in each of Iowa’s 99 counties to provide physical and cybersecurity assessments and review security practices. After the primary next month, Conley said CISA will host six exercises across Iowa to train officials on threats and practice responses.
Cyber threats to Iowa’s elections could be posed by foreign groups and could take advantage of generative artificial intelligence technology and ransomware, Conley said.
“Today's threat environment is also more complex than ever,” she said. “Our foreign adversaries remain a persistent threat to our elections intent on undermining Americans' confidence in the foundation of our democracy and sowing in partisan discord.”
Conley also noted that threats have come on the domestic front as well, as poll workers have faced increased harassment in recent years. A recent Brennan Center survey found that 38 percent of local election workers nationally had experienced threats, harassment or abuse during the course of their work.
“This is not who we are as a country, as Americans. We are better than this," Conley said of threats against poll workers. “And as a veteran, I want to thank these brave and selfless election officials who stand steadfast in their commitment to the security and integrity of the American democratic process.”
How to vote next week
Polls will be open for the June 4 primary from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters can also vote early in person until June 3.
The deadline to request an absentee ballot passed on May 20, but voters who have absentee ballots can return them in the mail or in person. The ballots must arrive at the local auditor’s office by 8 p.m. on June 4.
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