MEDIA RELEASE: Secretary Pate joins election cybersecurity panel at National Governors Association meeting

DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate will participate in an election cybersecurity forum during the National Governors Association’s winter meeting in Washington, D.C. on Friday. Pate was invited to join a panel of election security experts for a session titled “Who is Minding the Ballot Box?”.

The session is designed to help governors understand the continuing threat foreign adversaries and cybercriminals pose to public confidence in elections. Secretary Pate will detail his efforts working with Governor Kim Reynolds, the Iowa Office of the Chief Information Officer, the Iowa National Guard, all 99 counties and many other agencies to insure the integrity of Iowa’s elections.

“Election cybersecurity requires a team effort,” Secretary Pate said. “You need a variety of different stakeholders all working together to protect elections at every level. That is what we achieved in Iowa and I think the efforts we put in place can provide a roadmap that every state in the country can follow.”

The election cybersecurity session will take place from 2:30-4 p.m. Friday afternoon at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, D.C.

Secretary Pate’s “Partnerships Pay Dividends” election cybersecurity initiative is a finalist for the National Association of Secretaries of State’s 2019 IDEAS Award.

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