DES MOINES—Iowa Secretary of State Paul D. Pate and his team recently attended two national conferences, demonstrating a commitment to staying at the forefront of election administration. The team attended the National Association of State Election Directors (NASED) and the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) conferences.

Secretary Pate presented at both conferences on election cybersecurity and infrastructure. Secretary Pate shared the state’s plans to continue bolstering Iowa’s election security. State efforts to maintain a mature cybersecurity posture and to build relationships between state and local cyber and election teams are more important than ever, according to Secretary Pate.

“Iowa has laid a strong groundwork by building relationships at the state and local level with critical leaders in the cybersecurity and infrastructure security spaces,” said Secretary Pate.

“Iowa’s election officials have long understood the importance of building a diverse and robust election security team,” added Secretary Pate. “Our relationships with the Iowa Department of Management’s IT division, Iowa Department of Public Safety, Iowa National Guard Cyber Unit, and local law enforcement will provide us with the framework to keep Iowa’s elections as safe and secure as possible.”

Held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the NASED Summer Conference brought together state election directors and other officials for three days of sharing best practices in election administration, from voter list maintenance and voter registration system modernization to election security efforts.

A few weeks later, the team traveled to Biloxi, Mississippi to attend NASS’s annual summer meeting. Secretaries of State and their staff from nearly 50 states and U.S. territories attended the meeting to share expertise on topics related to election administration and business services, including election official training, addressing business fraud, federal and regulatory updates, and election security.

Iowa’s Vern Jefferson was recognized as a finalist for the Margaret Chase Smith Democracy Award at the NASS Summer meeting as well. Secretary Pate’s nomination of Jefferson for this prestigious award is centered around Jefferson’s long career in public service, his extraordinary character, and his dedication to performing selfless acts for the greater good. Jefferson was shot in the line of duty during a 2012 bank robbery and received the Congressional Badge of Bravery. He has served as Tribal Chairman since 2021, having led efforts to increase civic engagement among Native Americans. Today, he serves our next generation at South Tama as a trusted and beloved presence, showing students that law enforcement can be a force for good in their community.

Secretary Pate also led the NASS Business Services Committee, meeting as the Co-Chair. The committee is currently focused on addressing and preventing business fraud, a priority shared by Secretary Pate in Iowa. Secretary Pate is a past president of NASS (2019-20) and former Co-Chair of the Elections Committee.

Secretary Pate’s team will also be attending the upcoming Election Center’s National Conference and Certified Elections Registration Administrator (CERA) event.

A soundbite from Secretary Pate is available for your use here.

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