IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS
REINSTATEMENT NOTICENEED TO REINSTATE? CLICK HERE FOR INSTRUCTIONS

NOTICEThe Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) reporting requirement is now in effect. This federal requirement is not related to the Iowa Secretary of State. For more information and to file a report if your business needs to do so, visit: https://www.fincen.gov/boi

Secretary Pate announces use of Tribal IDs as a valid form of identification for elections
Paul D. Pate
Secretary of State
State Capitol
Des Moines, IA 50319
Iowa Secretary of State Seal WEBSITE: sos.iowa.gov
E-MAIL: sos@sos.iowa.gov
OFFICE OF THE IOWA SECRETARY OF STATE
MEDIA CONTACT:
Kevin Hall
Communications Director
Kevin.Hall@sos.iowa.gov
(515) 725-2942
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 21, 2018

Secretary Pate announces use of Tribal IDs as a valid form of identification for elections


TOLEDO, IOWA – Secretary of State Paul Pate announces Tribal ID cards from Native Americans are now accepted as valid forms of identification in Iowa for voter ID and Election Day registration. The use of Tribal IDs was made possible by an amendment to a bill passed by the Iowa Legislature in May. Secretary Pate's office assisted in crafting the amendment and encouraged its passage into law. Secretary Pate made the announcement during a Voter Ready roundtable discussion in Tama County on Tuesday.

"After meeting with a representative of the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa and learning more about the tribal enrollment process and tribal identification documents, I felt confident recommending to the Legislature that tribal identification cards be considered proof of identity at the polls on Election Day," Secretary Pate said. "The Sac and Fox Tribe has been a great partner in this process, and I want to thank them for their willingness to discuss this issue and for providing my staff with a copy of a tribal ID card to place on our educational materials."

A Tribal ID document must be issued by a federally-recognized Native American tribe or nation to be utilized for voter ID or Election Day registration. The two tribes with the largest membership in Iowa are the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa and the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. Adding Tribal IDs is an important step to ensure all eligible Iowans have a valid form of identification for voting at the polls.

"Secretary of State Paul Pate and his staff helped draft the legislation that was signed into law by Governor Reynolds. We are grateful for the bipartisan support we received and the help that was given to us by the Secretary of State," Anthony Waseskuk, Sr., chairman of the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa said. "The action strengthens the government-to-government relationship we've developed with the State of Iowa and it highlights the mutual respect between the Meskwaki Nation and the people of Iowa."

Acceptable forms of voter identification at the polls on Election Day include a valid Iowa driver's license or non-operator's ID, a military ID, veteran's ID, U.S. passport, Tribal ID, and a Voter ID PIN card. Pre-registered voters who do not have an ID at the polls will be able to sign an Oath of Identification and cast a regular ballot during the 2018 elections.

Secretary Pate is partnering with colleges and universities across the state to develop student ID cards that could be used for voter identification in time for the 2020 elections.

###