DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate releases the following statement of HF 516, the Election Modernization and Integrity Act, being signed into law by Governor Branstad this morning:

"My thanks to Governor Branstad for signing this bill into law and to the legislators who worked very hard on its passage. The Election Modernization and Integrity Act makes it easy to vote, but hard to cheat. My focus will shift to an extensive outreach program to voters to make sure they understand the provisions of this bill and ensure we have a well-informed electorate. I will work with all 99 county auditors and voter advocacy organizations to ensure no eligible voter will be turned away. Iowa is one of the nation's leaders in voter participation and I intend to maintain that record. Participation and integrity are not mutually exclusive." – Paul Pate, Iowa Secretary of State

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