DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate commends all those brave Americans who fought for their right vote, from our Founding Fathers to civil rights leaders to our soldiers in uniform. The elected leaders who made passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 possible should also be recognized. While Democrats and Republicans in the South overwhelmingly voted against the Voting Rights Act 50 years ago, eight of Iowa's nine federally elected officials supported the measure. Iowa has long been at the forefront of making elections more accessible to all eligible citizens.

"The passage of the Voting Rights Act was a monumental achievement in our nation's history," Secretary Pate said. "Voting is a civic duty that all Americans should fulfill. I'm proud that Iowa is one of the nation's leaders in voting accessibility and my office will continue to strive to increase participation while maintaining the integrity of the vote."

Iowa Voting Accessibility Statistics

• Iowa's 40-day early voting period is the second longest in the nation
• New York is the only state whose polls are open longer on Election Day than Iowa
• Iowa is one of only 11 states that allows voter registration with same day voting on Election Day

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