DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate was elected the Midwestern Region Vice-President of the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), during the group's annual meetings in Nashville over the weekend. Pate is one of 11 members on the NASS Executive Board. He will serve a one-year term, ending in July 2017.

"I am very honored that my fellow Secretaries of State have elected me to this leadership position," Pate said. "My role as Midwestern Region Vice-President for NASS will provide me with key opportunities to advance important services to voters and businesses. I also believe some of the initiatives and best practices we utilize in Iowa can be models for the rest of the country."

Since returning to the Iowa Secretary of State's Office in January 2015, Paul Pate has worked to increase voter participation through initiatives like online voter registration, Caucus 101, and Honor a Veteran with Your Vote. He provided victims of violent crimes with an additional layer of safety by creating the Safe at Home address confidentiality program. Secretary Pate has also worked diligently to operate the Business Services Division at the speed of business, not the speed of government.

NASS is the nation's oldest nonpartisan professional organization for state officials. The association serves as a medium for the exchange of information between states and fosters cooperation in the development of public policy, including key initiations in the areas of elections, voting and state business services.

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