Your vote is safe and secure in Iowa

Election Day is almost here, and we want you to know about all the steps Iowa election officials take to ensure your vote is safe. Iowa is ranked among the top three states in the nation for election administration and we work together in a bipartisan way to ensure the integrity of the vote.

There is a lot of misinformation and disinformation floating around regarding elections and voting. We urge Iowans not to fall for rumors and instead rely on the facts. Here are just a few of the ways we protect Iowa’s elections:

• Iowans vote on paper ballots. You cannot hack a paper ballot.

• Every vote tabulator in the state undergoes a public Logic and Accuracy Test ahead of the election, to ensure they are functioning properly and recording votes accurately.

• Our vote tabulators are not connected to the internet.

• Every vote tabulator produces a paper receipt of the vote totals that can be matched to the paper ballot totals to ensure the accuracy of the vote.

• Postelection audits take place in randomly selected precincts in all 99 counties following the election. A bipartisan team hand-counts the ballots to ensure they match the totals from the vote tabulators. The audits consistently produce a 100 percent match.

• There is zero evidence of any unauthorized intrusions into Iowa’s election systems.

• The requirement of Voter ID at polling places and on absentee ballot request forms adds another important layer of security.

This year, we are expanding our protections. Our postelection audits will be even more robust. Along with auditing the governor’s race in one randomly-selected precinct in each county, every county will audit an additional race which will be announced the day after the election. These postelection audits are open to the public to provide transparency to the process.

We also have unsung heroes involved in our elections: poll workers. These are your friends and neighbors who are committing their time and effort to ensure Election Day goes smoothly. Poll workers provide an important civic duty. Please be kind to them and show them the respect they deserve.

The Iowa Secretary of State and county auditors are working together to ensure the 2022 election is as clean and fair as possible and the sanctity of your ballot is protected. Election security is not a partisan issue. It’s one we all take very seriously.

Cast your ballot on or before Nov. 8 and know that a team of dedicated election officials will be there to ensure every ballot is counted correctly. If you have any questions, visit VoterReady.Iowa.gov or contact your county auditor’s office.

Make your voice heard. Be a voter.

Paul Pate is Iowa’s secretary of state. His Auditors Working Group is comprised of: Amanda Waske, Ringgold County; Carol Robertson, Mills; Denise Beyer, Allamakee; Denise Fraise, Lee; Hayley Rippel, Benton; Jamie Fitzgerald, Polk; Jennifer Garms, Clayton; Melissa Wellhausen, Page; Rhonda Deters, Grundy; Ryan Dokter, Sioux; Sue Lloyd, Buena Vista and Whitney Hein, Jones.