National Voter Registration Day activities planned in Iowa

CEDAR RAPIDS - Candidates for Iowa secretary of state are observing National Voter Registration Day with campus visits and mailers encouraging Iowans to register ahead of the Nov. 6 election.

Secretary of State Paul Pate is sending reminders to 300,000 Iowans who are eligible to vote but not registered. The mailing will coincide with National Voter Registration Day on Tuesday and will encourage them to use his office's online voter registration system.

'The best way to make your voice heard is by registering to vote and participating in elections,” Pate said.

'More than 90 percent of eligible Iowans are registered to vote. I'd like us to reach 100 percent.”

His Democratic challenger, Deidre DeJear, will be at Coe College in Cedar Rapids from 7 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday to talk to students about why she's running and the importance of them getting involved.

From 8 to 11 p.m., she'll join drag performers for 'Voter Suppression is a Drag” at Studio 13, 13 S. Linn St., Iowa City.

Every eligible Iowan who possesses an Iowa driver's license or non-operator's ID but is not registered to vote can expect to receive the postcard within the next two weeks, according to Pate's office.

These Iowans were identified by matching the state voter registration file with the Iowa Department of Transportation's database.

The mailing is being done in partnership with the Electronic Registration Information Center, a multistate compact.

Earlier this year, Iowa became the 25th state to join ERIC. A grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts covers the cost of printing and mailing the postcards.

Also, NextGen Iowa will be registering voters from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Tuesday on the Pentacrest at the University of Iowa.

l Comments: (319) 398-8375; james.lynch@thegazette.com